Mable: Here we are with the next chapter! So, the plan is to start posting on Sundays. I don't know if I can manage weekly updates with the surprising number of requests I suddenly had come in, I'm currently at seven, but I'm certainly going to try! ^-^ It just seems like a better option than random updates here and there.
Also, minor note, but I noticed a lot of odd mistakes I made typing this chapter. Probably the effects of me writing at two in the morning again. I think I caught them all, but if I didn't then I'll come back in and correct them.
Anyway, I don't own 9, Enjoy!

Our Inner Beasts

Chapter Ten: The Fight is Over

Seven awoke from her brief nap feeling refreshed. She slowly rolled over on the cot and looked across the workshop. She could see the twins nearby; Four sitting on a stool looking a little depressed and Three patting the librarian's shoulder, optics flickering in a reassuring way. Seven alerted them to her presence, "Is everything okay?" They looked to her in surprise, then both nodded eagerly. Four leapt to her feet and scurried over with Three in tow. They looked to Seven with concern and interest.

She responded to them with an affectionate smile, "I'm fine. Don't worry about me. What's wrong, are you missing the Library?" Four looked down, bothered by something, and Three looked to her before nodding in agreement. The Warrior was a little concerned that perhaps it was something else, but went along with it. "Maybe it's about time we headed back to the Library," she suggested. The twins didn't seem as eager as she anticipated, but nodded in agreement. She stood, grabbed her spear, and led the way out of the workshop.

There was regret in not being able to signal to Two that she was going, but Seven didn't want to risk staying around for too long. One would get the wrong idea, Two would get the wrong idea, and the others would clamor for them to stay even though Seven didn't feel comfortable in doing so. Bedroom or not, she assured herself that she didn't have a place here, and led the twins out into the Emptiness.

She only got a few steps out of the Cathedral before she heard movement nearby. Looking over, she came eye to eye with Cat who waited by the door. Seven hummed briefly and Cat started to stand as though to approach her. The Warrior looked out towards the Emptiness, "Tell Two that we'll be back at the Library. I've rested and am fine. He doesn't need to worry." Cat stopped beside her, watching her expectantly but saying nothing and giving no sign that he agreed to her request.

Seven watched him for some time before taking the bait, "What are you doing?" It was now that he reached forward, a very mischievous smile as he did so, and batted at her spear. She stared back, moving her spear. Cat swatted at it again and was a little firmer. Seven now gripped it with both hands, "What's wrong with you?" Her tone was laced with suspicion and slight annoyance, but was followed by another swat from Cat. Now she nudged back, as though to swat him away in the motion, but he reacted with a brief purr and a caught her spear.

Somehow even with all of the uncertain body language, Seven seemed to catch on at this point. Her suspicious look lingered for a few more moments before she gave a weary exhale. "Three, Four, head back inside. I'll be done in a minute." The twins weren't worried as Seven's tone didn't exhibit any sort of actual fear. If anything, they were simply curious, and watched the two as they entered back into the Cathedral. "If you're stalling me, it's not going to work… But I'll play your game. I could use the exercise to loosen up the new stitches."

Seven wasn't sure why she suddenly had a change of focus. She was intending to just brush him off and leave… But he seemed to want to spar, and she could use a brief warm up. Sparring wasn't just for training when it came to Seven. It was also for blowing off steam and the stress that came with existing in such a world. It helped keep Seven balanced and sharp. Normally she wouldn't want to spar so close to an injury, but it had been mentally exhausting day, and she wasn't too worried about Cat's fight.

"Here are the rules, and I will give you rules because I know you need them. We can only go into the Emptiness as far as we see here. I don't want to get too far from the twins. We use what weapons we have and our bodies; I don't feel like fighting off scraps today." Cat nodded in agreement and Seven finished, "Most importantly, don't go easy on me because of what happened earlier." This was important to say, as Seven didn't want Cat to go easy. It felt patronizing to even think about it, even though she understood why one would think they would need to go easier.

Though out of everyone, she thought that Cat was most likely not to do so, mostly out of self-control. Or lack thereof. She stepped out further from the Cathedral and then took a stance. Cat followed suit and stood before her. He bared his claws, hunched a little as he watched her through the holes in his helmet. She lowered her own and held the spear in front of her. She kept her shield close to her, preparing to defend herself if he got in too close. Then Cat struck forwards, darting towards her and swiping at her.

She raised her shield to catch him and went to stab forwards. Unlike a weapon, Cat's hands were more agile, so he quickly recovered. As the spear jolted towards him, he dodged to the side and knocked it aside with his claws. The warrior turned, twisting out of the position and facing Cat from the opposite side where she caught his leg. He fell into a kneel, but caught the spear as it came down at his head, wrapping his claws tighter around it and rolling back. This time he actually did get her weapon out of her hand as he did a backwards somersault.

Seven was surprised, but undeterred, and as Cat left the weapon on the ground and sprung forward, Seven responded by rushing in. She put all her strength and weight into her shield, trying to shove Cat back. While it held him at bay, his focus suddenly went on getting rid of the shield. It became a tug of war where he tried to yank it off and Seven turned her arm enough to keep it on. Her optics darted to the spear laying on the ground. She knew she would have to make a sacrifice and managed to turn them until she was closer towards her weapon.

Then she released the shield, him throwing it aside, and literally dove to her spear. She rolled into a kneel, aiming her spear directly at him as he prepared to pounce. Though this pounce slowed into a stumble and a halt. Seven knew she had him, spear aimed toward him, and he raised his hands as though in submission.

Though he followed the gesture with a chuckle that was drenched in the sound of purring. "You got me, Dove," Cat admitted in defeat. It was still jostled, but Seven could understand it immediately.

She lowered her weapon, "So you talk now? Or talk better, I suppose." She started to stand as she watched the former Beast lower his claws. "Just because I won doesn't mean we have to stop," she pointed out. Immediately she had a mental image of Two scolding her about overdoing it. "But perhaps we should take a brief break. The last thing I need is to strain anything fighting you. There's a chance that a beast could return and be an actual threat," Seven lightly teased with a small smile to show she was doing so.

Though she suddenly caught herself when she realized that she was becoming a bit more comfortable with Cat. The though immediately made her uneasy and she strengthened her guard as she guided him off to the side, sitting down on a hubcap. "That was quite a display with One earlier," Seven pointed out. She didn't ask anything and yet her tone held a sort of questioning in its abrupt silence. Cat sat down beside her and looked towards the Cathedral in sight. At first, Seven thought he was going to stay silent, but right as she turned to speak he did so again.

"You do… Whaat hazzt bidoune?..." Cat tested the words as though they were foreign. It was clear that he was not used to speaking, and indeed he wasn't. Cat knew what he wanted to say, but transferring it into words was the difficult part. It was also clear that some words were coming easier than others. One moment he could speak a straight sentence, the next he was struggling. Seven could only mentally note to forewarns Two, as he would have to help teach Cat how to speak.

"You did what you had to… I understand," Seven sympathized. "I suppose since One was the one accusing you earlier, you want to win him over. Because he is leader. I understand that." It wasn't something Seven would do, she thought One's ego was already too big, but it made plenty of sense.

Cat adjusted his helmet and looked to her curiously. "Winn-you won't be izz eaisy?" he asked in a surprisingly bold question, a playful smile on his lips. The question took Seven aback.

"I'm afraid not," she answered. Then she waited until she reluctantly added more on, "But I am impressed with you fighting for us earlier. I can't cast you in suspicion like One with you clearly trying… So, I will try to be more civil." Cat began to rumble in his chest, clearly purring in delight at the words. The sound confused Seven, who didn't think he was close enough to a feline to purr, but shrugged it off quickly.

Soon after she turned away, she noticed his hand brushing her back once again. She wasn't as defensive as before, but still curt. "What are you doing?" Seven quietly asked, almost as though warning him. He traced her wounds silently. "You're the one who put them there. Is that why you're so interested? It was one of the first times you dragged me to that birdcage…" She stood now, but didn't leave. She just stood and faced him, continuing her comment, "It's what led me to fight back."

Cat remembered the event she was talking about. Barely, it was hard to remember, but he remembered taking her to the birdcage. For some odd reason, something about her tone made him feel uncomfortable. He stayed silent in response, knowing that he couldn't voice a good enough answer currently. He wasn't sure what he was supposed to say in this situation anyway.

Thankfully, Seven wanted to change the conversation as quickly as possible. "What does it feel like to change bodies?" The effort of speaking had, so far, paid off for Cat.

It was still somewhat hard to comprehend, sort of making him feel lightheaded when he tried to focus, but it was allowing him more access to the other Stitchpunks. "I want to scratch my fa-ha-bric til it shreds," Cat uncomfortably lamented, rubbing his hands together. His claws twitched in unrest, already wanting to jump and rip at the material.

Seven was still sympathetic, "New fabric feels like that. It'll back off after a while." She noticed when he moved to rub his thighs that he was slightly clawing at them. "And don't do that or you will tear it," she quipped with a small smile. He brought out the worst emotional baggage she had and yet, somehow, Cat was still at least a little amusing. It made him seem a little more like a Stitchpunk and a little less like a possible monster. Seven couldn't believe what she was doing. Allowing herself to become closer to Cat was a recipe for disaster.

Yet she found herself easing a bit more, "Maybe we can get in one more round before I have to leave. Unless you're too tired?" Cat's following smile, eager and overconfident, was enough of an answer to her.

Two did tend to get distracted easily. So, when he whipped around the hallway corner, studying the eye trophy that Cat had brought back, he had barely been paying attention to where he was going. Thus, he nearly ran straight into another Stitchpunk. His optics raised abruptly and landed on One's own as the leader stared him down. Two could only take a step back out of reflex and mentally scold himself. After all, he was still trying to avoid One, either for the scolding coming or the inevitable conversation continuation on the horizon.

"Ah. Evening, One. I'm sorry, I was distracted," Two excused as he looked down to the eye. Anything to not directly look One in the eye.

"I can see that," One murmured and looked at the eye with a scowl. Two inwardly felt amusement at the action; he knew how picky One was with things that dropped off Beasts. One detested anything disgusting, anything revolving a machine, and he knew that this being in the Cathedral was probably driving him insane. The older male then straightened and continued. "Come to my chambers. We need to speak and I do not wish to be overheard 'accidentally'."

Two blinked at both suggestions, noticing when One looked past him and looked back to see Five in a nearby doorway. However, Five didn't seem to be paying attention. Two didn't exactly want to get himself stuck inside of One's room, so he offered another suggestion. "I was planning on heading down to the Workshop. Why don't you accompany me? We should be alone there." It felt easier to be in a room that he had more of a possession over.

One agreed, "Very well." Then the both headed to the lift, down the lift, and soon entered the workshop together.

"What did you need to speak with me about?" Two inquired as he approached the workbench. He could only hope that it wasn't about what he let slip.

"It is about this situation between us," One began. He stayed quiet for a few moments before sighing. "Two, I… I have been thinking about our situation and…" He hated doing it; he hated admitting that he was wrong, having to submit to anyone, but he did. "I was terribly wrong in not letting them go after you. In not specifically sending them to the factory to save you. I was so… Blind to reality. I wasn't even thinking of what my actions would lead to…" He exhaled tiredly, "And, yes, perhaps I have been too hard on Nine and Five… And Cat as well."

He struggled to get the name 'Cat' out. "You are right; I do tend to be more firm with them and I should give them a bit more space. Five especially has proven himself to me, regardless of his poor direction skills." Normally Two would defend Five's map reading and direction, but he was partially aware of what happened earlier, so he said nothing. Instead he stared at One in surprise as he continued.

"I'll be honest, Two. I never believed that you had it in you to lecture me as you did the other night. At first I was furious that you would say such things. To your leader, no less… But then I realized that as much as it should've offended me, I felt something else as well." One inhaled, paused, and released a quick, "I respected you." Two's optics were wider than ever. "Not even the Scientist was capable of calling out his leader on his faults and I… I am proud of you for that." One had started this intending to bluff his way back into Two's good graces.

However, by now One wasn't exactly sure what he was thinking. It was so hard to get every word out, but if he was simply bluffing then he didn't know why they were so difficult. He didn't even know what he was doing as he continued to let the words out. "I do see you as my right-hand man and I… I hope you can forgive me." Then was the hardest part. One knew he didn't have to say it, but it pried out through his lips. In one fell swoop he lost all control.

His face gave away his guilt, his optics briefly settled on the floor before returning to Two, and One finished with the only thing he could say that wouldn't be quieted. "I'm sorry."

The workshop became incredibly quiet after that point. Two sat there, dumbfounded, staring at One as though the leader suddenly started talking in rhymes. One's optics returned to the floor where his dignity now laid in shambles.

"One… I- I never expected you to say that… of course I accept your apology." One was surprised at how quickly Two decided this. The Inventor continued, "I am proud of you too… I don't think I've ever heard you honestly apologize. It… It doesn't change what happened, but it is a change in you. That's something that I know you don't give out easily, which either means I earned it or you… You actually wanted to say it." The last section was said in surprise, as though Two suddenly realized how shocking it was.

"I don't like how things have changed between us," One admitted, as though defending himself from his own behavior. "You… Have always been the Stitchpunk I looked to for an intelligent opinion and since then we have- Well, you already can see how things have become between us."

Two nodded slowly in agreement, "Yes. Things have been more tense." He cut off for a few moments before looking to the leader and staring. It was almost as though he was unsure what to say. Then, suddenly, he got a warm smile, "And I'm not very happy with it either." A jolt of something, One wasn't sure what it was, passed under the leader's buckles. Two didn't seem to notice anything amiss and continued, "Perhaps we can continue this conversation over our game of chess? We were interrupted midway through, if I recall correctly."

There returned that playful smile that the inventor tended to get. Even though he had never fully said he forgave One, only that he accepted his apology, One was content. He gave a slight smile in response, though found an odd reaction internally as his pulse rate began to increase. Two passed by him, One noticed how close they brushed, and then headed out of the curtain. The leader followed him and they approached the bucket lift once more. Whatever Two was intending to do in the workshop was immediately forgotten about.

On the way to the lift, One noticed something odd. "What are they doing?" he questioned under his breath as he noticed the twins by the entrance.

Two gave a questioning hum and looked over, then called over. "Three? Four? What are you doing at the door?"

"Seven has probably already left," One remarked with a huff, completely ignoring Two's unintentionally rhyme.

"No, no. I believe she may have headed to her room," Two defended and turned to the twins again. "Come back into the Sanctuary with us. I'm sure we can find something for you two to do." His tone was affectionately paternal, and the twins hesitated only a moment before hurrying over and boarding the lift. They quickly noticed a sort of ease between the two older Stitchpunks, less tenseness than before, and could only smile a little.

Maybe One and Two would be comfortable together again. Maybe Seven and Cat would follow suit.

Mable: Hopefully this new plan will go well and I'll be able to start posting chapters every Sunday. ^-^ That would be a nice change, to have a competent schedule and keep consistent postings of chapters. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed!