0 watched the world outside move and sway. Time was a cruel god that kept the earth from comforting her children. How could nothing stop or allow her to move back in time to correct her mistakes? How could the cruel gods that foretold the destruction of humans still be alive with the stitchpunks?
While nobody was paying attention she snuck out to wander. She knew she shouldn't go too far from everyone while Nightmare was somewhere around. So she only went as far as the Scientist's house.
She remembered when he was alive. He was so kind to her. Somehow she recognized him immediately when she shouldn't have been able to. The house was always a mess with papers and detailed drawings of 1 through 9.
Nothing changed about his home, except he wasn't at the window to greet her. The books on the shelf were neatly set up, some were haphazardly strewn across the floor, and the papers were scattered in random areas.
0 remembered everything like it was a dream. Why did she have to wake up?
3 clicked behind her. "What did you come here for?"
0 turned around to the Twins. He was getting better at clicking slower. "I'm not sure. It was the first place I could think of." She admitted. Out of habit she rubbed her throat, where the sound would come out of her mouth. Sometimes she missed her voice box and sometimes she simply didn't care that it was gone.
4 clicked slower than he needed to, "Do you still remember this place? I barely remember it!"
"Not much has changed in the past few years. Where did you find that video?"
"In the library," 4 answered. "Why?"
"I wanted to find more." 0 imagined herself sighing audibly, it filled the silent void sometimes. Where did Maggie live? Did the Scientist know? Her body immediately moved. The world around her suddenly didn't exist. There were only her and the books she tore through for any signs of a map or a dot or a marker or anything that he may have used to note where Maggie's house was.
There was nothing except for a map with faded colors and dots and lines and the only legible thing written was KEY in big bold letters. 0 frowned and threw the map. It was useless.
3 and 4 put a hand on her shoulders. I can't do anything to help, she thought harshly. If she said it aloud 3 and 4 would scold her again and she didn't feel like going through that at this time.
"I need 7," she stumbled through the clicks, trying to rush them out before the thought left her.
"Why? What do you plan?" 4 translated 3's rushed clicks.
"I need her to show me how to fight. If I come across Nightmare again and she isn't around I need to know how to defend myself properly." 0 climbed up through the window.
The sun was at its highest seat in the heavens but their shadows peeked out from under them. On their way home they picked up two sticks that closely resembled swords. 7 and 9 were outside spreading out paper with faded lines and colors and dots like the maps they found in the Scientist's house.
When they approached she looked up and smiled. "You guys are okay!" She exclaimed but her happy look quickly turned into confusion when 0 threw the stick in front of her. "What's this?"
0 didn't know how to tell her. She looked at 3 and 4 who shrugged. What else could she do but attack her? Reluctantly she swung the stick at 7. It had a low whiz sound and a whack sound told them she picked up the stick and defended herself.
"What's going on?" She demanded.
A light went on in 9's mind. "I think she wants to fight you."
0 nodded when 7 looked up at her with a questioning look. She wanted to ask more questions but it seemed useless since she couldn't talk in long explanations anymore. Whatever question she had she temporarily dropped and lunged at her. 7 was able to easily pin 0 on her back. In a few swift motions she had hit the stick to 3 and 4's feet and had her stick against 0's chest.
"We'll do it tomorrow. I'll teach you how to fight." 7 stood and helped 0 to stand.
0 mouthed the word "okay" as she nodded. She didn't mean to mouth the word, it came out from habit.