Let's see what happens next
5 once again tested the make shift rope he was making with the bed sheets of the room. It might have been old, but still held together. He felt much better since waking up even if he still felt some stiffness in his joints. If he kept moving, 5 was sure his joints would feel better. 4 and 3 came into the room rolling a spool of thread catching 5's attention "Oh you did find some, just leave it here." The twins pushed it up onto one of its flat ends. 5 stretched his arms out as he walked towards them "Thanks for your help," The twins smiled and ran off, no doubt to catalogue whatever the home had left. Even with all this happening 5 could barely wrap his head around everything that's going on. He was dead a few hours ago and now he is moving around like nothing happened. While he was grateful for what his friends did for him, but the whole thing still made him feel uneasy. Terrifying thoughts sometimes wandered into his head about his return. Would this be a temporary thing? To one day feel like his soul was leaving his body to never return again? Or if all the memories he has really is everything he used to know. How would he know if there was a blank in his memory? He looked toward the doorway, a few uncertainties crossing his mind again. Was 91 really someone new in the group or had she always been there? No couldn't be she was as much a stranger to him as he was to her, right? Putting the make shift rope down he made his way out of the room.
After what felt like hours walking through ruins, 7 and 9 finally found the remains of The Brain. As brave as 7 is, the sight of this thing still made her skin crawl. 9 placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder "It's dead 7… let's get 1 and go," 7 got a good look around. The silence of this place made it hard to imagine this was the location of their last stand. 9 began searching for the missing member of their group as 7 slowly walked around taking in her surroundings. 9 moved through the pieces of scorched earth and metal thinking how 1 could possibly come out of this unharmed. 7 stopped near a slab of stone when something caught her eye. Jutting out of the ground was what appeared to be a sharp grey stone, but to her trained optics that wasn't the case. She walked over to the object and picked it up letting the dirt to slowly fall out of the object. 7 gave it a once over; besides the feathers, her helmet was pretty intact. She shook it a few more times, getting rid of any leftover dust. 7 carefully placed it on her head again, keeping it tilted for the mean time. Just a few inches away a glint caught her attention. 7 picked up her spear, smiling to finally have her weapon again. 7 looked around again almost forgetting the main reason why they were there. 9 walked over a pile of burnt metal looking for any signs of the oldest one of the group. This was going to be harder than he thought. A red eye studied them from afar waiting patiently to make its move.
5 walked into the first room. 91 warned him about the dead scientist still on the floor. 5 remembered the creator when he first woke and gently placed him on the wooden table to observe him. The smile the scientist gave 5 was still in his mind, a tired man surrounded by destruction and death, but still manages to see the light in these dark times. Some part of him felt that the scientist would be proud of them. He couldn't explain it, but really some things were better left as they are. 5 made his way past the creator and onto the stacked books and notes that lead all the way up to the top of the wooden table. As he pulled himself up, the newest addition to their group was looking through a dusty old book. 91 turned as 5's steps caught her attention "Oh 5 what are you doing here?" 5 stretched his arms over his head "Moving around, it does get lonely in a place like this?" 5 looked around "Where are the twins?" 91 pointed at a nearby shelf "Last I saw them they were exploring over there," 5 turned his attention to the shelf "It won't be the first time they do something dangerous." 5 saw the book she was reading "What are you studying?" 91 flipped the page "A journal of some kind," 5 stood next to her, trying to make sense of some of the notes and diagrams. Much of the page was covered in symbols he had never seen before. 5 grabbed the edge of the page "May I?" 91 nodded. 5 took a good look at the diagram that was now in front of him. 91 looked to the mechanism behind them "Is that what it is?" 5 studied the diagram in the book and looked at the device behind them "Yes, well as far as I can tell." 5 read some of the scientist's notes "It looks like this is how he did it…" 91 looked at 5 in confusion.
3 and 4 moved quickly between the books on the shelf. There wasn't much that they could learn since this collection was also at the library. The only book they haven't seen was the scientist's journal that 91 was looking through. Maybe when she's done they could learn a thing or two.
7 scaled to the top of a pile of debris. They had been searching for a while and so far have come up with nothing. She saw 9 sitting on a rock hanging his head down. 7 made her way down to him and stuck the blade on her spear in the ground to sit next to him "Still no luck?" 9 just shook his head. 7 looked at the destroyed B.R.A.I.N. in front of them "We just made this a lot harder than it had to be," 7 took her spear and made her way toward the machine. "What do you mean?" 9 asked "1 took your place didn't he?" 9 began to follow her "Yes…" "Well that means he's probably buried under this thing…" 7 said grimly. 9 felt a sense of dread; he had assumed the explosion sent him away from this place. If 1 was destroyed like 8 what could they do? 7 moved between the twisted metal keeping an optic open for 1. 9 tried to keep up with her "9 come quick!" 9 rushed to 7's side. They saw 1's hand sticking out from under a metal plate. 9 and 7 quickly tried to push it off of 1, but found their efforts were in vain. 9 then had an idea "7 we could use your spear to get some kind of leverage on the metal, we don't have to push it all the way just enough to get 1 out." 7 gave 9 her spear and looked around them. Off to the side was exactly what she was looking for lying upside down in the dirt, a dome shaped piece of what looked like steel. As 7 tried to wedge it free 9 dug the blunt end of the spear under the plate. 7 rolled the dome under the spear and pushed it as close to the plate as she could "Alright 7 when the plate is moved one of us will have to pull 1 out of there," 7 grabbed her spear just below the blade "Not to sound arrogant, but I am faster than you," 9 smiled "Well let's do this then," he took hold of the spear, just in front of 7. 9 braced himself "On the count of 3, ready?" 7 focused expression answered him. "One, two…THREE!" with all their strength they pulled down on the spear. 9 and 7 pulled until the spear was at the same height as their stomachs. 7 quickly made her way to 1 grabbing his hand and pulling with all her might. 9 grunted as the spear slowly moved back up "Quick 7 I can't…" the weight of the plate finally became too much for 9. The plate fell flat on the ground again making 9 fall on his back. Horrified 9 assumed the worst. The dust settled enough for him to see 7 holding 1 from under his arms. The plate falling just a hair's breath away from his feet. 7 behind at 9 and smiled "Well is it time to go back?"
The trek back to the First Room felt longer for 9. Mostly because he carried 1 on his back and frankly there was a limit to what he could do. 7 saw 9 begin to struggle "9 do you want to take a break?" 9 shifted 1 a little "No I'm fine," 7 stopped him "9 if you collapse from exhaustion we won't make it back to the First Room and have to spend the night out here, even with the machine destroyed I'm not too comfortable with that idea." 9 sighed "I guess there is no point in arguing is there?" 7 stuck her spear into the ground "Nope," 7 adjusted 1's body to her back "Well let's get going, he's heavier than I thought," 9 took the spear and followed 7 down the previous path to the First Room.
5 studied 1's entry in the scientist's journal one more time. He wouldn't know what condition 1 would be in and he wanted to be prepared for anything. He looked out the open window seeing the sky turn an orange color "Where are they?" he whispered to himself. 91 turned away from the journal "What was that 5?" "Oh nothing 91 just… thinking too much," 91 crossed her arms and stood next to him "They will be back soon," 5 scratched the back of his head "Is it that obvious?" 91 smiled "Holding a sign over your head would make it easier," 5 looked at the ground and shifted his feet a little "91 can I ask you something?" 91 shrugged "Go ahead," "Why…why don't you feel like staying?" 91 held a stoic face "I guess I don't want to be tied down here," 5 hesitated again "But…what's the problem with having a home?" the grey stitchpunk pulled her scarf over her mouth "Because I never had one," 5 put a hand on her shoulder "Well maybe it's time you did,"
9 and 7 arrived at the bottom of the steps of the First Room's building as the last rays of the sun disappeared over the horizon. 9 climbed the first step holding out his hand to 7 "Same thing we did with 5?" 7 held 1 up so 9 could take him up. After what felt like an eternity the duo finally made it to the First Room. They both called out to the others "5! 91! Where are you?!" From the top of the desk 5 and 91 came to the edge. 5 smiled and quickly made his way down with 91 following close behind. 7 placed 1 gently on the floor and 9 stuck 7's spear into the ground. 5 called out to them "7! 9! Your back!" 9 smiled "Of course where else would we go?" 9 and 7 walked toward him. 5 brought them both into a hug. 7 and 9 both smiled and hugged him back, but 7 leaned into the hug more. 5 finally pulled back "7 you found your helmet?" 7 pointed behind her "My spear too," 5 looked at her left hand "Not much luck with your shield?" 7 brushed it off "I can always make another one," 5 turned to 9 "Did you find anything useful out there?" 9 looked sullen "5, do you think you can repair 1?" 7 stepped to the side giving 5 a better view. 5 knelt down next to 1's body examining what kind of damage 9 was talking about. 1's hand was hanging on what few bolts remained, a few cuts on his fabric and one of his optics was dented to the point a cracking the glass. 5 carefully took the damaged hand and inspected it closer "It will take a while, but I can put him back together if I find the right parts," 9 looked over at the bookcase filled with bolts, wood and other assorted objects "Just tell us what you need and we will help you," 5 held up a hand "Don't worry about this, I can handle it, besides you should go look at the scientist's journal…" 9 looked at his friend in confusion "…there are some things you should really see," Before 9 and 7 could ask 91 spoke up "I'll show you what he's talking about," 9 followed 91 toward the table. 7 watched 5 as he carefully removed all the damaged parts from 1's hand and keeping what was still functioning. Seeing 5 concentrating so much in his task, she didn't want to interfere. She took her spear and slowly made her way to 91 and 9 taking a few glances back at her one-eyed companion.
And this chapter is done. Don't forget to review!