A/N: I REALLY can't wait to see the reviews for this chapter and the next chapter.. I'm probably gonna get so much hate for this... *evil grin* Oh, you guys are really gonna hate me. By the way... it was storming when I wrote this. Perfect.
But before we begin, I want to give you guys a little lesson on guns. I'm sure most of you have noticed that on the bottom of a bullet is a small circle, right? Well, that's the only place the bullet can be hit for it to ignite and fire. When you pull the trigger of a gun, this little thing called the hammer hits the bullet right in the center of that circle only. That ignites the gunpowder in the bullet, which causes an explosion (contained by the gun) which sends the actual bullet flying at the target. Trust me, this lecture is necessary.
Also, I HIGHLY suggest going back and reading chapter two before getting started with this one! I HIGHLY RECOMMEND IT! So... enjoy!
Fever
5 watched sadly as the sun rose on 6's last day alive. He hoped the team out in the Emptiness knew that they were 6's last chance. If they didn't find the Scorpion and 6's Keeper by that night, then 6 would die.
A gentle breeze started blowing, and 5 could feel the heat of the day already. The heat would make it even harder for 6 to keep going, and it would also bring on a storm, which was the last thing they needed.
5 suddenly heard 6 start whimpering behind him. Turning, he saw 6 clenching his hands into fists and grimacing in pain. He quickly made his way over to 6 and knelt down on the bed. He rested his hand on 6's shoulder and gently shook him to wake him up.
"6, wake up..." 5 whispered, not failing to notice how extremely hot 6 had gotten overnight. The heat of the day wasn't helping either.
Gasping, 6 slowly blinked his eyes open. "B-burns..." he stammered out quietly. He then started trying to push his blanket away, which was difficult due to the fact that his legs were paralyzed. "B-burning..." he whimpered. "P-p-please h-help..."
"Shh, it's okay," whispered 5, trying to keep his voice steady. He untangled 6 from the blanket and gently pulled it off of him before letting it fall to the ground. 6 breathed a small sigh of relief.
"H-hot..." he muttered deliriously.
"I know..." said 5 quietly, gently brushing 6's hair back. That was when he heard the elevator coming up. Turning, he saw that the twins had returned from filling up the jar of water again. 5 gestured for the twins to come quickly; they nodded and quickly slid the jar across the floor until it was next to the bed. 5 then dunked a piece of cloth into the cool water and, after quickly wringing it out, laid it on 6's forehead.
That was when he saw how much trouble 6 was really in. The extreme heat of his Fever turned the water on the cloth into steam, which rose up into the air and then disappeared in the wind. 5 slowly removed the cloth from 6's forehead. Instead of laying it back down, he wet the cloth again and then dabbed at 6's forehead and face to cool him down. After a moment, 6 drifted back off into a restless sleep.
5 sighed and looked at 6's right hand. His temperature was 141. He looked at 6's left hand and grimaced. 6's pulse had dropped all the way to 9. 5 sighed again, having hoped that they could cure 6 before his pulse dropped to the single digits.
Closing his eye, 5 rested his head in his hands, but he snapped his head up a moment later when the twins started shaking him. He looked over at 6 and saw another wisp of soul disappearing.
"Did he cough?" asked 5 nervously. When the twins shook their heads no, 5 gulped. This was very bad. If 6's soul was leaving his body without a fight... 5 didn't even want to think about it.
At that moment, 2 came back down the stairs, carrying the items he had needed to fix the telescope, which had suddenly broken the night before. "How's it going?" he asked 5 as he set his tools down. And then he saw the look on 5's face. "Uh oh. What happened?"
"Some of his soul came out again... but... he didn't even cough..." muttered 5. "And his Fever is so high that it's turning the water on the cloth into steam... And he's... y'know... dying..."
2 sighed and looked down at his feet. "I'm sure the others will find the Scorpion..." he said, trying to offer some comfort.
5 shook his head. "I'm sure it'll find them first, but it won't matter... It's going to come here tonight. We have to be ready..."
"Find the chink..." came a voice from behind 5. Whipping around, 5 saw that it was 6 who had spoken.
"6?" whispered 5, laying his hand on 6's shoulder. 6 shifted a bit, and that was when 5 saw that he was still asleep.
"F-f-find the chink... find t-the chink... f-find it..." 6 whimpered, curling in on himself and grimacing in pain. "C-chink..." He then sighed and slipped back into a deeper, quiet sleep.
"Chink...?" muttered 5. "What's a chink?"
"It's like a gap," explained 2. "Like a weakness in something unbreakable..."
"Or..." muttered 5, his eye widening, "like a weakness in a machine..." He quickly stood up, ran across the workshop, and grabbed 6's picture of the Scorpion with the little red, black, and blue arrows pointing to different parts. He brought the picture back over and spread it out on top of a table.
"Okay, so the blue arrow is where the Scorpion keeps the Keepers it steals, right?" asked 5.
2 nodded.
"Well, we know that it's tail is a weapon, and there's a red arrow pointing to it," 5 continued to explain. "So the red arrows must be the weapons or dangerous parts. That's why there are red arrows pointing to it's claws too."
2 nodded again, understanding. "Go on..."
"So what do these black arrows mean...?"
The twins looked at each other, their eyes wide, and looked back at the picture.
"The black arrows are weak points!" exclaimed 2.
"Too bad there aren't many..." muttered 5, counting the arrows. There were only five arrows; there was an arrow pointing to the Scorpion's back right leg, the one that 8 had cut off, another pointing to the middle leg on the Scorpion's left side, and another pointing to it's left arm, halfway between the claw and the body. 5 remember what that arm was for from the vision 6 had shown him, and he hoped that one of the others from the team in the Emptiness had taken it out already. Another arrow was pointing generally to the Scorpion's head and neck, and the final arrow was pointing to the base of the Scorpion's tail.
"Let me run upstairs and get 1," said 2. "He'll be furious if he misses any of this."
5 nodded, and 2 quickly headed up the stairs.
The twins moved forward and quickly cataloged the picture, memorizing the Scorpion's weak points and dangerous points.
"Are you two ready?" 5 asked the twins after a moment. "For tonight?"
3 and 4 looked at each other and grinned evilly. 5 knew that look. They definitely had something planned, and he was too scared to ask. Instead, he risked a glance at 6's temperature. It had gone up to 142, and his pulse had dropped to 8.
5 grimaced and walked over to the window. In the far distance, he could see the others near the house that the Scorpion had collapsed on them a week earlier. Further off on the horizon, 5 saw large dark clouds starting to form.
Closing his eye, 5 sighed and silently started waiting for the storm.
"I don't think we should be going over there," said 7, her voice betraying her nervousness.
"Well, it's the only place we haven't checked yet..." said 9, carefully poking his way around.
"Because it's scary," 8 deadpanned.
9 reluctantly had to agree with 8. The collapsed house was scary, especially since the memory of nearly dying in it was still fresh in his mind. "I guess it is kinda scary, but still, we should at least have a look around..."
"Fine..." sighed 7 as she glanced around nervously. "But we're probably not going to find anythi-"
"Found something!" exclaimed 9, cutting 7 off.
"What is it?" asked 8 as he and 7 made their way over to where 9 was standing.
"This," said 9, turning and showing the others the object in his hand. It was a picture of the Scorpion.
"This is one of 6's drawings..." said 7 quietly, examining the drawing of the Scorpion with small arrows pointing to different parts. "How did it get out here...?"
9 thought back to the last time 6 had been out in the Emptiness. "He had it with him," he said. "Remember, after the house collapsed on us? When 8 pulled him out of that pile of rubble, he had a picture with him. I didn't see it, but I'm sure this is it..."
"This is just like the picture he had back at the Library," said 7. "Except... with no color. That doesn't help much..."
"There's something on the back," said 8, taking the picture from 9 and holding it up for the others to see.
"Find the chink" was scrawled on the back in 6's messy handwriting.
"Find the chink...? What's that supposed to mean?" asked 9, taking the paper back.
"Chink...? Isn't that like a weakness in something?" asked 7.
"Weakness?" grumbled 8.
"Yeah, like a weak point or open spot," said 7.
"I thought it was the sound something small makes when you drop it," said 8, scratching his head.
7 rolled her eyes. "What do you think, 9?"
9 slowly took his eyes off of the picture and looked up at the others. A devious grin crept onto his face. "I think... it's going to rain." He then rolled up the paper, stored it inside his chest, and walked off in the general direction of the Library.
6 slowly blinked his eyes open. He was still exhausted, but he wanted to stay awake, even if it caused him pain. He glanced around and saw 5 sitting by his bed and the twins huddled against the wall, examining a rubber band. 1 was tying a long thin blade to a thin metal stick, 2 was adjusting something on the elevator, and 0 was still huddled up against his side.
6 painstakingly turned his right hand so that he could see the screen showing his temperature. It was still at 142. He closed his eyes, and he must have moaned involuntarily, because he felt 5's hand on his shoulder.
"6, are you okay?" whispered 5.
6 weakly nodded. "C-can you... try and... f-fix my legs...?" he asked quietly.
5 smiled sadly. "Sure, 6. We'll see what we can do..."
"Thanks..." muttered 6. He then closed his eyes and fell asleep...
… right into a nightmare.
6 was running for his life again. He heard the familiar crackling of the Scorpion right behind him. He looked around for 5, but he wasn't there. 6 was completely alone.
Suddenly, 6 felt the Scorpion's EMP hit his back, and he collapsed.
"Help!" he screamed, hoping that someone would hear him.
The Scorpion ripped his chest open with it's sharp claws, and 6 screamed when it yanked his Keeper out. From the corner of his eye, he could see the others running towards him. He felt the Scorpion pick up his limp body in it's claw. That was when 8's knife came flying out of the darkness and cut off the Scorpion's back right leg, right where one of the chinks were.
However, the Scorpion didn't drop him. If anything, it's grip tightened. Then it turned and ran back into the Emptiness with 6 in tow.
The last thing 6 heard before he blacked out was 5 screaming his name.
He woke up a few days later. Wherever he was, it was pitch black and freezing. 6 curled in on himself, trying to use his Fever to heat himself back up. He opened the panel on the back of his hand, and the little glowing green numbers on the back of his hand told him that his Fever had already rocketed past 100. He closed his eyes and whimpered, scared and alone.
The next day, he woke up with no feeling in his legs. Now, even if he knew how to escape from his strange prison, he wouldn't be able to due to the paralysis. He had never felt more alone in his life, and the cold and darkness didn't help.
Every night, the temperatures would plummet and he would have to curl up on the cold hard floor. He even found himself holding his breath to try and raise his temperature just to maybe end the torture a little sooner. The little numbers were the only things he could see. He was literally watching himself die, slowly and painfully.
On his last day... something changed. The room got a little bit lighter. Suddenly, something hit the ground a few feet in front of him. There was another thump, and then another much larger one. That was when he heard the voice. The first voice he had heard in a week.
"Where are we...?"
That was 5's voice.
6 gathered up all of his strength and gasped out one feeble, quiet word: "5...?"
A bright light suddenly filled the room. 6 saw that 5 was holding 9's lightstaff. 7 and 8 were also in the room, which turned out to be a small cavern.
"6!" exclaimed 5. He quickly handed the lightstaff over to 7 and sprinted over to where 6 lay curled up on the floor. When he reached 6, he dropped to his knees and picked 6 up, cradling him in his arms.
"I'm so sorry, 6..." he whispered, hugging 6 tightly. That was when he noticed 6's Fever. "You're burning up! What... what happened...?"
6 slowly turned his hand so that 5 could see the numbers.
"Oh no..." 5 muttered.
6 closed his eyes and whimpered, snuggling closer to 5. He had known that he was going to die, but at least now he didn't have to die alone.
And he had really needed that hug.
"W-w-where a-are the o-others...?" 6 gasped out, looking tiredly up at 5, 7, and 8.
"Well... 1, 2, and the twins are back at the Library, but I don't know how much longer they'll last..." said 5.
"And 9 is dead..." mumbled 8 sadly, risking a glance at 7, who had yet to say a single word. She simply stood there, looking at the lightstaff in her hands, her face completely devoid of emotions, even though they all knew she was sobbing on the inside.
"W-where are we...?" whispered 6.
"We're under the collapsed house... T-the Scorpion brought us here..." 5 told 6. "We were searching for you, and it attacked us..."
"It won..." 6 whispered, closing his eyes.
5 sighed and looked at the back of 6's right hand. 149. 6 only had minutes left.
"5..." whispered 6.
"Yeah?" 5 whispered back.
"P-please... s-save the others..."
5 nodded sadly, but 6 didn't get to hear his response. His Fever reached 150, and he felt everything inside him just... stop. And then he didn't feel anything.
But at least he didn't die alone...
5 watched 6 fall asleep, unaware of the mental hell that 6 was experiencing.
"What did he say?" asked 2, coming up beside 5.
"Uh... he asked if we could try and fix his legs..." said 5 quietly.
"We might be able to do that," said 2, "but only after he's cured. If it's his Fever that's causing his paralysis, then we won't be able to do much about it..."
"What's it doing to him, anyways...?" muttered 5. "How could a Fever paralyze him...?"
2 thought for a moment. "Let's just find out..." he said, moving the other side of the bed. "Help me roll him over so that he's on his back."
5 nodded, and he and 2 gently rolled 6 onto his back. 0 jumped up and started hissing at them when 6 winced, but the twins quickly rushed over and grabbed him to calm him down.
Once 6 was lying flat on his back, 5 untied the rope around his midsection that held the wound closed. He gently tugged the fabric apart a bit so that he could look inside.
"That doesn't look good..." muttered 5. Several of the wires running down 6's lower spine had been burnt so badly that they were severed. The same thing had happened further up, just under his voice apparatus. That's what was causing his paralysis. 5 started to take a step back when he saw the empty, six-sided socket where 6's Keeper should be. Choking back the anguish he felt from seeing that, he shakily retied the rope and took a step back.
"D-do you think we could fix something like that...?" asked 5.
2 nodded. "We should be able to fix it. I have spare wires that can replace the melted ones. It should give him full use of his legs again."
5 breathed a small sigh of relief, but then the nervousness returned. "Should?"
"Well, there's no telling if he'll fully recover from this," said 2 nervously. "He might still end up crippled..."
5 nodded sadly. If he survives...
Dark clouds were slowly covering the sky. A hot, uncomfortable wind was blowing. The heat of the afternoon was just increasing the storm's strength.
The team out in the Emptiness were on edge. With the clouds covering the sun, their only way to tell the time was by how dark it was. And the pitch black clouds rolling in didn't help one bit.
"I don't like this..." said 9 quietly, not daring to speak above a whisper.
"Me either..." grumbled 7 and 8.
"We should probably stay close to the Library," said 9. "When the storm starts, we'll need some kind of shelter..."
"Unless we're dead by then..." muttered 8.
The others rolled their eyes, and they continued to walk through the ominous Emptiness, unaware that they were being watched.
The Scorpion was waiting...
5 had started pacing again. Even though the sky was now completely clouded over, he could tell that it was getting late. 6's time was running out fast.
5 looked over at the sleeping stitchpunk. 6 had somehow managed to curl up on his side again, but he looked like he was in pain. 5 quietly walked over to him and looked at his hand.
143. His pulse was 7.
Suddenly, 6 gasped and his eyes shot open. He looked around frantically until his eyes found 5.
"6, are you okay?" asked 5.
6 closed his eyes, breathing hard. "N-n-nightmare..." he whispered.
5 gently smiled. "Don't worry. You're safe..."
"For now..." 6 muttered, looking up at 5. Suddenly, he gasped and, grimacing in pain, wrapped his arms around his chest.
"It's okay, 6, it's okay..." said 5, kneeling down and dabbing 6's forehead with the wet cloth. He looked around and saw that he was alone in the workshop, aside from 0. 1 was in the watchtower, 2 was testing out the elevator, and he had no idea where the twins were.
"5..." moaned 6, trembling in pain.
"Shh, it's okay, just try and go back to sleep..." whispered 5.
6 weakly shook his head. "D-don't w-wanna..." he whimpered.
"It's okay, I'm right here," said 5. "You won't have any more nightmares..."
6 shook his head again. "N-not that... A f-few h-hours left... D-don't w-want to m-miss any..."
5 sighed sadly, but before he had a chance to say anything, he heard footsteps coming up the stairs. Turning, he saw 4 come into the workshop, carrying a couple pieces of paper. Then 3 came up, carrying a small jar of ink. When 6 saw the ink, his eyes widened.
4 spread a piece of paper on the bed in front of 6, and 3 took 6's left hand and dipped it into the jar of ink. As soon as he released 6's hand, it went right to the paper.
6 slowly dragged his inky fingers across the paper and started drawing. All traces of pain instantly disappeared from his face, and 5 actually heard him sigh in relief.
As 6 drew, 5 looked up at the twins. "Thanks..." he whispered.
The twins nodded and smiled sadly.
After a few minutes, 6 closed his eyes and stopped drawing. 5 stood up and looked at the picture that he had drawn, but he gasped when he realized what it was.
It was 6's Keeper. And it was broken in half.
5 slowly took the picture, still dripping with ink. He looked at the twins, he eyes wide.
"Y-you'll find that at the d-door tomorrow m-morning..." 6 whispered, his eyes still closed.
"No we won't," said 5, trying to keep his voice steady. "We'll save you..."
"H-how do you know?" muttered 6, starting to shake again. "Y-you can't s-see the f-future..."
5 opened his mouth to respond, but 6 suddenly cried out in pain, curling in on himself.
Dropping the picture, 5 quickly bent over 6. The twins rushed to the other side of the bed; 3 dabbed 6's forehead with a wet cloth, and 4 struggled to hold on to 0.
"It's okay, 6, just calm down..." said 5. He put another piece of paper in front of 6, but he just pushed it away.
"No..." 6 gasped out. "Not again..."
5's eye widened as he realized what was about to happen. He quickly rolled 6 over so that he was on his back.
The second 6 was on his back, a burst of green smoke came out of his mouth, and 6 went completely limp. The green smoke swirled in the air for a moment before disappearing.
5 sighed and looked at 6's temperature. 144. His pulse was 6.
"How many times has he done that...?" came a voice from behind. 5 turned around and saw 2 slowly exiting the elevator, which he had finally managed to automate.
"What do you mean?" asked 5 quietly.
"How many times has his soul come out?" asked 2, looking nervously at 6.
"Including this one... five times," said 5.
2 nodded a bit. "I'm surprised there's still any soul left inside..." he muttered.
"Yeah..." muttered 5 distractedly. He turned and walked over to the window. What he saw made him freeze.
Darkness was falling.
The nights came quickly in the Emptiness. 9 held his lightstaff high, illuminating the surrounding area. He and the others were about three minutes away from the Library, far enough to keep the others safe from the Scorpion, but close enough to run to in case there was an emergency.
Lightning flashed through the sky, and thunder rumbled in the distance. A strong wind whipped through the hot, humid air, blowing stray papers around.
"Where is it...?" muttered 7, her grip on her spear tightening.
"I don't know..." 9 said. "It's getting dark. It should be coming soon."
"But that means 6 is dying now..." said 8 quietly.
9 nodded sadly. "There's still some time left," he said, lowering his lightstaff a bit. He looked out towards the Library. Lights were illuminating every single room in the building, especially near the bottom, which 9 thought was strange because they were keeping 6 up in the tower...
Suddenly, something flew through the air and landed in a pile of rubble a couple feet away. They all jumped at the sudden noise.
"What was that?" hissed 7, holding her spear in an attacking position.
9 cautiously approached the object. He held his lightstaff high up to spread the light. That was when he saw what it was.
It was 8's magnet. The one the Scorpion had taken.
In his confusion, 9 lowered his lightstaff.
And then the Scorpion attacked.
5 sat staring at the crossbow in his lap. He was armed, just like the others. 1 and 2 both had spears, and the twins had some mysterious weapon that they had yet to reveal. 5 looked down at his backup weapon. It resembled a spear on one end and a hatchet on the other. 5 had designed it so that it could be broken in half, and each end could be used separately as a weapon.
The tension in the air was so thick, 5 felt like he could cut it with a knife. Night had fallen and the storm was approaching. A trap had been set downstairs. Now all they had to do was wait for 6's prediction to come true. All they had to do was wait for the Scorpion.
Nervously tapping his fingers against his leg, 5 looked over at 6. The striped stitchpunk was still sleeping. 5 looked at the screen on his right hand. His temperature was 145. His pulse was 5. He still had a bit of time left until his temperature reached 150.
5 sighed and glanced around the room. 1 was by the window, 2 was fiddling with his weapon, 0 was laying on 6's chest, and the twins were sitting in the corner near the elevator. The room was silent except for the howling of the wind and the distant rumble of thunder.
Not a second later, the silence was shattered by a loud, sharp scream.
6 sat bolt upright so fast that he flung 0 across the room. His eyes were wide and terrified. "NO!" he screamed, falling back onto the bed.
"6, what is it?" gasped 5, standing up. "What's wrong."
"I-it's a-attacking them..." 6 gasped out, his eyes unfocused and his pupils no more than pinpricks.
"What do you-" 5 started to ask, but he stopped. His eye widened in fear, and he rushed over to the window, leaving 6 with the twins.
5 quickly scanned the darkness. "There!" he shouted, frantically pointing out into the Emptiness, where he could see the faint glow of 9's lightstaff. However, he could also see the bright, electric blue blasts of electricity surrounding the large, metal Beast.
"What's going on?" exclaimed 1 loudly.
"The others are fighting the Scorpion!" exclaimed 5, squinting to get a better view. He could see 9 and 7 running around the Beast, and he could see 8 trying to sneak up on it with his knife. Suddenly, something happened that 5 couldn't make out, the light went out, and there was only one stitchpunk left. Judging by the size, it was either 7 or 9.
And then something exploded, and the smoke and dust caused 5 to lose sight of the others and the Scorpion. He stumbled back away from the window.
"Dying..." muttered 6 deliriously.
5 whipped around to face him. "What?" he exclaimed.
6 dizzily shook his head. "He's dying..." he whimpered.
5's eye widened, and he felt everything inside him freeze. He turned to face 1 and 2. "Try and see if you can see anything!" he exclaimed. He then turned back to 6. "Is there anything we can do...?" he whispered.
6 weakly shook his head, and his pupils returned to their normal size. "Sorry..." he whispered. "There isn't any-"
But then he stopped. His eyes widened a bit. "Unless..."
Then he closed his eyes.
5's eye widened in fear. "Unless what? 6?"
That was when 5 saw 6's temperature. It had been 145 only seconds earlier, and now it was 146. As 5 watched, it immediately jumped up to 147.
5 gasped as he realized what was going on. 6 was holding his breath. He was raising his temperature on purpose!
"6!" exclaimed 5, grabbing him by his shoulders and shaking him. "6, stop it! What are you doing?"
5 looked at 6's temperature again.
148
That was when 6 opened his eyes and started gasping for breath. His temperature stopped at 148. His pulse had dropped to 2. He had literally taken away his remaining hours.
Now he only had minutes to live.
"6... What did you do?" gasped 5.
"C-changed f-fate..." he gasped out, smiling weakly.
5 shook his head. "What do you mean?"
6's smile faded. "I-it's c-c-coming... T-the S-scorpion is c-coming..."
Outside, a bright flash of lightning illuminated the sky. And then the rain started.
Earlier
The Scorpion came out of nowhere. It smacked 8 aside with it's massive claws and sent him flying through the air. He landed in a pile of rubble a few feet away.
The Scorpion lunged at 7, but she jumped out of the way and swiped at the Scorpion's face, aiming for it's right eye. However, the Scorpion smacked her spear away before she could hit the eye.
9 swung his lightstaff at the Scorpion's face. The beast backed off at the light, and 9 lunged at it with his dagger. However, the Scorpion took a swing at 9, and he had to jump back to avoid getting clobbered.
He wasn't fast enough. The Scorpion's claw knocked the lightstaff right out of his hand. It flew through the air before hitting the ground with a loud crack. And then the light went out.
9 gulped, but he and 7 kept circling the Scorpion, one distracting it when it tried to go after the other. That was when 9 saw 8 sneaking up behind the Scorpion, giant knife in hand.
Once 8 was close enough, he threw his knife as hard as he could at the Scorpion. The knife sailed through the air and hit the Scorpion's middle leg on the left side. The leg came clean off.
The Scorpion roared in pain and swung around. It hit 9 first, throwing him into a wall, where he landed right next to his broken lightstaff. Then it hit 8 with it's claws again and sent him flying... right at 7. She tried to dive out of the way, but she wasn't fast enough. The unconscious 8 landed right on top of her, trapping her.
9 was the only one left.
He slowly stood up, and the Scorpion turned to face him. It didn't do anything, however. It was waiting for him to make the first move.
9's eyes slowly scanned the ground near him. He still had his broken lightstaff, but he had dropped his dagger, and his lightstaff wasn't of any help to him at the moment.
That was when a flash of lightning illuminated the sky, and he saw it. A shiny object was sitting right by his foot. The object was cylinder-shaped at the base, but near the top, it narrowed to a point. He recognized the object.
It was a bullet.
9 looked at where he was standing. He was on top of a brick that had fallen loose, and there was a nail sticking out of the brick. Pointing right at the Scorpion's face.
Without hesitation, 9 quickly picked up the bullet and slammed the back of it against the nail.
BANG!
The bullet exploded, sending 9 flying backwards against the wall. When he hit the ground, he curled up around his left arm and let out a scream of pain. He opened his eyes and, once his vision focused and his head stopped ringing, he looked at his arm. All of the burlap from his wrist to his elbow was completely gone, there were several exposed sparking wires, and the thin piece of metal piping that made up his arm bone was blacked with small fragments of metal sticking out of it.
Trembling in pain, 9 looked up to where the Scorpion had been. The wind slowly blew away the dust cloud, and 9 could see the Scorpion.
It had definitely been hit by the bullet. Half of it's face was missing. A large chunk of metal was gone from the side of it's head, and it's eye was gone too.
It's left eye.
"Oh..." moaned 9. "Wrong eye..."
The Scorpion let out a roar of pain so loud that it nearly blasted 9 deaf again. Then it slowly started to advance towards him.
9 dizzily scrambled to his feet, leaning on his broken lightstaff, barely able to see through the pain. His only thought was that he hoped 7 had woken up 8...
That was when it stopped.
9 heard an electrical crackling noise. He braced himself, ready for the Scorpion to fire it's EMP at him.
But that never happened.
Suddenly, the Scorpion's left claw shot out at 9 and pinned him to the wall. 9 gasped in shock, not expecting that at all. He saw that the Scorpion hadn't moved; just the claw. That was when he saw the chain connecting the claw to the Scorpion.
"Ass..." muttered 9.
And that was when the Scorpion sent a strong current of electricity through the chain.
9's screams were drowned out by the thunder and the howling wind.
The Scorpion smiled, watching 9 convulse. It slowly rose the voltage of the electrical current. If the voltage kept rising, then 9 would die. 9 knew this too.
But then it stopped. The flow of electricity stopped cold right before becoming lethal, and 9's body went completely limp.
After a moment, 9 weakly lifted his head and looked at the Scorpion. The beast was looking off across the Emptiness. 9 slowly turned his head to see what the Scorpion was looking at.
The Library.
9 felt the Scorpion's grip on him start to loosen. That was when something large and silver flew through the air. It sliced the chain connected to the Scorpion's claw.
8's knife.
The Scorpion's let out a roar of pain, but instead of attacking, it sprinted off towards the Library.
9 felt himself fall to the ground, pain still burning up his entire body from the electrocution. A moment later, he felt himself being lifted into a sitting position.
"9...?" That was 7's voice.
"I'm fine..." 9 stammered out, trying to open his eyes. "W-we have to s-stop it..."
"Why?" asked 7. "Where is it going?"
"T-t-the L-Library..." he gasped. "I-it's going a-after the others..."
9 let his head roll to the side, and he saw 8 pulling his knife out of the ground, along with the other Scorpion leg. He didn't touch the claw, though.
"8..." groaned 9.
The larger stitchpunk looked over at 9. "What?" he asked.
"D-do you s-still have t-that o-other leg...?"
8 nodded and, reaching behind his back, pulled out the leg he had cut off of the Scorpion a week earlier, holding it up with his newest prize.
9 nodded. "G-good."
"C'mon," said 7. "We've got to get back to the Library..."
"Here," said 8, bending over and picking up 9. He and 7 stood up and they started to run towards the Library.
A minute later, it started to rain.
By the time they reached the Library door, it was pouring so hard that they could barely see. From inside, they could hear the sounds of a fight. The Scorpion had already gotten inside.
"How do we get in?" exclaimed 8 as they reached the barricaded door.
That was when 9 spoke up. He coughed out something unintelligible.
"What did you say?" asked 7, nearly shouting to be heard over the storm.
9 coughed one more time before speaking one single word:
"Up."
7's eyes widened and she looked at 8. "Find the chink..." she muttered, finally realizing what 6 had meant.
8 nodded and, gently throwing 9 over his shoulder, he took the Scorpion legs, one in each hand. 7 jumped on his back and held on tight.
Then, using the serrated Scorpion legs, 8 started climbing up towards the chink.
5 carried 6 into the bucket elevator and gently set him down so that he was leaning against the cool metal wall. Once he made sure 6 wouldn't fall over, he dashed back out and grabbed his crossbow, quiver, and spear.
"Is everybody ready...?" asked 5 quietly. The others nodded gravely. 5 nodded back. "Good. Everybody get in the elevator and be ready for the fall."
The twins scampered into the elevator first, 4 holding on to 0, and 3 keeping 6 upright as the bucket swung. 1 and 2 followed them in; 1 was holding the rest of the weapons, and 2 had his hand on the lever that would disengage the break.
5 handed his spear to 1 and then made sure his crossbow was loaded. He slowly walked towards the window, crossbow at the ready. When he reached the window, he slowly looked out...
… and jumped back as an EMP blast flew right by his head.
Judging by the mark left on the wall, the Scorpion had it's EMP set for stun.
5 ran back to the elevator and slammed the door closed behind him. He signaled for the others to be silent. Past the rain, they could hear something... it sounded like the Scorpion was climbing the outside wall!
Well, at least the barricade worked... thought 5 bitterly.
That was when they heard the signature buzzing of the Scorpion's EMP. Nearly right outside the window.
"NOW!" exclaimed 5, dropping to the floor of the elevator and throwing an arm over the twins and 6.
2 pulled the lever, and the bucket plummeted.
5 held on tight, feeling like he was going to be thrown out at any second.
Finally, after what seemed like hours of free-falling, 2 reengaged the break, the the elevator screeched to a stop, just an inch above the ground floor.
5 quickly stood up and, grabbing his spear, flung the door open. He jumped out and, after pulling the twins out, he picked up 6.
"Hide..." he hissed to the others before running off across the Library with 6 barely conscious in his arms.
A minute later, he reached what looked like a small pile of books and papers leaning against the far wall. 5 moved aside one of the books to reveal a small, shaded opening. He carried 6 inside and gently set him down so that he was leaning against the wall.
"5..." moaned 6 deliriously.
"Yeah...?" whispered 5 sadly, kneeling down in front of 6.
"B-be careful..." 6 whispered back.
5 nodded and turned around. Just as he expected, 0 was sitting at the entrance. 5 quickly walked over and scooped up the bug. He then turned and set 0 down next to 6.
"0, look after him until I get back," said 5. He swore he saw the bug nod.
Before leaving, he took one more look at 6's temperature.
149
His pulse was 1.
Better do this quick... thought 5 sadly. From the center of the Library, he heard a crash. The Scorpion had reached the ground floor, courtesy of the elevator wires.
With one more sad look, 5 stepped out of the shelter and pushed a thin book over the opening, hiding 6 and 0. He then turned and ran to his position, which he and the others had planned earlier.
5 took his position under the table near the door. From there, he could see the pile of books where 6 was hiding. He also knew that 1 was hiding near 6 so that he could help if the Scorpion found 6. 2 was hiding near 1's throne, and the twins had already scurried up to the level above, where they had hidden their weapon. The room was well lit, which would hopefully warm up the room and make it harder for the Scorpion to see them.
That was when 5 finally saw the beast in the light as it slowly stalked it's way into the center of the room. It was even uglier than 5 remembered it, with it's scratched up metal exoskeleton and hideous face. That was when 5 noticed the damage it had taken. Instead of missing one leg, it was missing two, and it's left claw, the one with the chain launcher, was gone. Then 5 got a good look at it's entire face. The Scorpion's left eye was missing, along with a large chunk of it's head. The rest of it's face was blackened and slightly deformed as if it had been burnt. That must have been from the explosion.
But it's still got it's heat vision... thought 5. He slowly lifted his crossbow and took aim. If the Scorpion turned it's head just a little bit more, then 5 could blind it.
Suddenly, the Scorpion's head snapped towards the pile of books where 6 was hidden. It slowly started to move in that direction.
5's eye widened and, without another thought, he ran out into the open and shot an arrow at the Scorpion. The arrow bounced harmlessly off of the back of the Scorpion's head. It didn't do any damage, but it did what 5 wanted it to do. It got the Scorpion's attention.
The Scorpion whipped around and faced 5. Without missing a beat, 5 loaded another arrow into his crossbow.
The Scorpion hissed at 5, and suddenly it's entire exoskeleton started crackling and arcing with electricity.
"Remember me?" asked 5, his voice emotionless except for raw hatred.
The Scorpion hissed again before moving it's claw up and down a bit. Waving. It definitely remembered.
"That's good," said 5. He cocked his crossbow, his eye narrowed.
"Because this time it's personal!"
Then he shot.
The Scorpion turned so that the arrow hit it's armored side and bounced off. Then it charged right at 5.
Knowing he didn't have enough time to reload his crossbow, 5 grabbed his spear and dove out of the way. The Scorpion, still off balance from losing another leg, skidded into the leg of the table 5 had been hiding under. The wooden leg cracked, and the table collapsed on the Scorpion, sending piles of books crashing to the ground, along with the five mirrors the twins had been playing with earlier that week. None of the mirrors broke.
5 climbed up on top of a large pile of books on the other side of the door. He loaded his crossbow with another arrow as he watched the Scorpion squirm out from under the table. It looked around for 5, but when it didn't see him, it started to run back towards 6's hiding place. 5 shot it in the side with another arrow.
The Scorpion whipped around and, without hesitation, charged straight towards 5.
Okay, now it's pissed, thought 5 as he reached into his quiver and grabbed another arrow.
Then the arrow got stuck, and 5 couldn't get it out. The Scorpion was halfway up the pile.
Abandoning the arrow, 5 reached for his spear. The Scorpion was almost on him when...
WHAM!
A large rock came flying out of nowhere and hit the Scorpion on the side of the head. The force of the impact knocked the Scorpion all the way back down the pile, giving 5 time to get the arrow unstuck and reload his crossbow.
Another rock came flying from the same direction and hit the Scorpion's side, leaving a large crack in it's exoskeleton.
5 looked up to see the twins on the floor above.
They had made a giant slingshot.
3 grabbed the center of a giant rubber band and pulled it all the way back. Then 4 came out of nowhere with a large rock the same size as his head. He put it in the slingshot, and they both let go. The rock sailed towards the Scorpion, but the beast was expecting it this time.
At the last second, the Scorpion jumped out of the way of the rock and shot an EMP blast at the twins. They didn't have time to jump out of the way, and they were both hit. They collapsed on the ground, out of sight, but 5 could still see them blinking their lights at each other. They weren't dead; simply paralyzed.
The Scorpion charged at 5 again, and he shot it again. The Scorpion didn't duck out of the way in time, and it got hit in the chest. It reared back, and that was when 5 saw the little square door on it's chest. That was where it was keeping 6's Keeper.
With steely determination, 5 unloaded another two arrows into it's chest, but when he reached back for a third one, he found nothing. His quiver was empty.
The Scorpion must have known this, because it started charging at 5 again. 5 dropped his crossbow and picked up his spear. Then he jumped from the pile he was standing on to a slightly taller pile adjacent to his. The Scorpion saw this and slammed it's remaining claw into the pile 5 was standing on. The books toppled over and landed right on the Scorpion. This also sent 5 flying back across the room, and he landed next to the table he had started under.
The Scorpion burst out from under the books, roaring in pain and fury. A loud crackling noise filled the air. 5 knew what was coming next. He looked around and saw one of the mirrors. He quickly scooped it up and held it in front of himself just as the Scorpion fired it's EMP.
The EMP impacted with the mirror so hard that it jerked backwards and slammed into 5, throwing him across the room. When he landed, his head hit the wall and he slumped over, unconscious.
The Scorpion smiled evilly and started advancing towards 5, it's entire body live with electricity.
That was when 2 came out of hiding. He ran at the Scorpion as fast as he could and sliced at it's tail with his spear, aiming for the chink.
He missed by a centimeter, but it was enough. Because he didn't hit the Scorpion's chink, he got electrocuted. The sheer amount of electricity sent him flying across the room where he landed on 1's throne, unconscious.
The Scorpion turned away from 5 and looked at 2, surprised that he had just knocked another stitchpunk out cold without even realizing it.
That was when he remembered why he was really there.
The Scorpion turned and sprinted over to the small stack of books. He could see a definite heat signature coming from inside. With an evil smile, he knocked aside the books...
… and got attacked by 0.
The little bug lunged at the Scorpion's face, unaffected by the electricity. The Scorpion stumbled backwards as 0 tore at the exposed wires sticking out of it's head.
Finally the Scorpion managed to shake 0 off. When the little bug landed on the floor, the Scorpion hit it with it's claw, and 0 went flying across the room, landing who knows where.
The Scorpion turned back to the shelter, but it was empty. He could definitely see the heat signature where the sick one had been, but there was no one there.
What it didn't know was that, while it was fighting 5, 1 had snuck out of his hiding place and grabbed 6. He quickly carried 6 a few feet further along the wall until they reached a small hole in the wall, hidden by a piece of paper. 1 moved the paper and carried 6 inside. He set 6 down so that he was leaning against the wall.
"6?" he whispered. "Can you hear me?"
6 gave a small, weak nod, still trying to keep his eyes open. 1 looked at the back of 6's hand and saw that his temperature was still 149.
That was when the Scorpion destroyed the pile of books and got attacked by 0. 1 looked out and watched as the Scorpion flung 0 across the room. Then the Scorpion started to look around, slowly scanning the area with it's heat vision.
1 gulped in fear. He knew that the Scorpion would be able to see 6 through the wall. Backing away from the entrance, 1 did the only thing he could think of. He took off his cape, which was still at room temperature, and held it up in front of himself and 6.
Outside, the Scorpion stopped. It used it's heat vision to see where the air was slightly hotter, moving away from the last spot 6 had been. He traced the slight heat over to the wall, right where 1 and 6 were hiding. However, thanks to the cape, the Scorpion couldn't see them. However, it could see exactly where the heat trail ended.
There you are... the Scorpion hissed. It began charging up it's EMP.
Meanwhile, across the room, 5 was slowly coming back into consciousness. As soon as he opened his eyes, he shook off his throbbing headache and quickly looked around for the Scorpion.
That was when he saw it. The Scorpion was facing away from him and aiming at something 5 couldn't see. That was when he heard the familiar crackling of it's EMP, preparing to fire.
5 quickly stood up and spotted his spear. It had been cracked in half from the impact of the EMP, but it broke in the way 5 designed it to. He picked up the spear in one hand and the hatchet in the other. Then he ran towards the Scorpion.
He came up right behind it and, swinging his hatchet down, hit the Scorpion's chink perfectly, avoiding the electrical field and severing the Scorpion's tail right before it fired it's EMP.
The tail fell to the ground and immediately went lifeless. The Scorpion roared in pain and swung around. It hit 5 with it's only claw and sent him flying into the wall, where he landed right next to the entrance to the gap where 1 and 6 were hiding.
He looked up and saw the Scorpion standing and staring at him.
"What are you going to do now...?" 5 gasped, winded from the impact. "You're all out of tricks..."
That was when the Scorpion slowly started backing up. It backed up to the center of the room.
What are you doing...? wondered 5.
Then something on the Scorpion's left arm moved. Something inside where the chain should have been. 5 didn't realize what it was until it was too late.
It was an arrow. His arrow. The arrow he had shot at the Scorpion when it had first tried to break into the Library.
The Scorpion fired the arrow right at 5.
Someone knocked him out of the way.
5 looked up and saw that it was 1. He expected to see 1 convulsing on the ground with the electrified arrow sticking out of his chest, but instead, 1 was on the ground next to 5, having fallen after knocking 5 out of the way. However, 1's new hat was pinned to the wall with an electrified arrow sticking out of it.
"It missed..." mumbled 5, quickly standing up and helping 1 to his feet.
Then 5 looked at the Scorpion. Maybe it was shocked that it had missed, or maybe it was calculating it's odds of escaping. Either way, it wasn't moving.
5 narrowed his eye and, picking up his spear and his hatchet, he slowly started walking towards the Scorpion. This caused the Scorpion to come back into reality. It's exoskeleton crackled with electricity. 5 snarled. Even when it was nearly defenseless, it was still untouchable.
And 6 only had minutes left.
That was when it happened. 7, 8, and 9 reached the roof. And the chink.
There was a loud CRACK from up above. 5 looked up just in time to see water cascading down from the ceiling.
Right on top of the Scorpion.
The beast started convulsing as it's own electricity traveled through the rain water and right back through it's conductive exoskeleton. Sparks started flying out of the Scorpion's head and it started to smoke. However, it was still fighting. The flow of water slowly stopped, and the Scorpion slowly reached out towards 5 with it's remaining claw.
Snarling, 5 stepped forward and swung at the Scorpion's head with his hatchet. However, he swung his hatchet up at the base of the Scorpion's neck. The hatchet connected...
… and 5 lopped off the Scorpion's head. It rolled on the floor and landed at 5's feet. Then it's glowing red eye finally turned black.
"It worked!" exclaimed a voice from a floor above. 5 looked up and saw 8 climbing down the elevator wires with 7 and 9 on his back. 7 was the one who had shouted.
"What did you do?" exclaimed 1.
"We found the chink," said 7 as they reached the ground. "The leak in the roof."
5's eye widened when he heard that. While they had been attacking the chinks in the Scorpion's armor, the others had attacked the chink in their own armor.
And that had been what killed the Scorpion.
5 stepped towards the body, but he jumped back before stepping in the puddle of water around it.
"What's wrong?" asked a voice to 5's right. He looked over to see 2 coming over a mountain of books.
"The water's still electrified!" exclaimed 5 frantically.
That was when he heard two pairs of footsteps quickly coming towards the group. He looked over and saw the twins. 4 was carrying 0.
"0!" exclaimed 5. The bug jumped out of 4's arms and ran over to 5.
5 picked up his spear and, avoiding the water, jammed it in the little door to the Keeper compartment. The door swung open.
"Fetch!" exclaimed 5, pointing to the open door. 0 quickly scurried into the water, completely unaffected by the electricity. He climbed up and into the little compartment and emerged a moment later.
He had 6's Keeper in his mouth.
The bug jumped down and quickly ran back over to 5. As soon as 0 was out of the water, 5 grabbed 6's Keeper and sprinted back across the room. He saw 6 lying on his side inside the gap in the wall. 5 quickly grabbed 6 and pulled him out into the open.
Instead of untying the rope around 6's midsection, he simply cut it with his hatchet.
Then he pulled 6's fabric open and snapped his Keeper back in place.
The little fan started spinning immediately, trying desperately to cool 6 back down. 5 gently pulled 6 on his lap.
"6?" he whispered, cradling the trembling, unresponsive stitchpunk in his arms. "6, can you hear me...? You're going to be okay now..."
6 slowly opened his eyes, just enough to look up at 5. He smiled weakly, but his eyes showed his sadness.
"T-t-thanks..." he gasped out, his voice no more than a whisper.
5 smiled sadly. "Y-you're g-going to be okay..." he whispered.
6 weakly glanced down at his right hand. His temperature was still at 149. It wasn't dropping.
"I-i-it's o-okay..." 6 whispered, looking back up at 5. "Y-you s-s-saved m-me..."
5 looked at 6's hands again before looking back up at 6.
"6..." he whispered, his voice cracking.
"I-I'm s-s-s-sorry..." 6 whispered, slowly closing his eyes. "S-so s-s-sorry... 5..."
Then 6 stopped shaking. He let out a long, soft sigh and went completely limp, his head rolling slightly to the side so that he was leaning against 5's chest.
5 looked down at 6's hand just in time to see 6's temperature jump to 150. His pulse dropped to 0.
And then the screens went dark.
And 6 died in 5's arms.
A/N: I was LITERALLY physically fighting with Elliq to finish this chapter...
… I'm gonna get so much hate for this.