I know this is unexpected but I needed to do this. I wasn't sure how this would pan out until I tried it. I was inspired by a certain TV show, but that's all I can say.

The main pairing is 1x9, but there's mention of 5x4, 8x3, and, maybe, a bit of 6x7. Maybe.

I don't know how many chapters this will be, but know that I did it.


The afternoon sun engulfed the ruined town in a golden light. Mountains of rubble scattered the roads. What was once a road to a busting town was now indiscernible and through all the heaps of junk that took over it.

Random pieces of long-forgotten possessions litter the roads. Some doors had collapsed or been ripped away from their hinges during the war agains the humans and the machines. Either way they left a welcoming entrance to anyone in particular. Broken cars and rusty pieces of metal littered some of the larger driveways, stripped from all but their useless parts.

The air which was once filled with the many sounds of a growing community had grown eerily quiet. The silence was only broken by the occasional beast growl and the gust of wind.

Down the litter-filled road, two figures were passing through. One with an eyepatch, one holding a staff with a lightbulb.

5 peered in a basement window, arching a brow. He shook his head after realizing there was nothing to be seen in there. He meandered back to 9.

"I don't think they're in here," he said, jerking his thumb that the spot he just looked in. 9's face fell. "Let's keep going."

The two continued on.

It had only been two days since 1 and 8 didn't return from a scouting mission. At first the stitchpunks didn't think any of it thinking they'd return the following morning. But when the next day came and they didn't return, none of the stitchpunks worried about it. The day passed and no sign of them. By nightfall, it was a means for action. 7 wanted to join them, but 5 and 9 convinced her to stay behind and protect the others. She needed to stay back in case 1 and 8 somehow made it back or if a beast infiltrated the library.

"What if he's hurt?," asked 9, turning to look at 5. The one-eyed stitchpunk offered a rueful smile.

"Don't worry, 9," reassured 5, wrapping an arm around him. "He's going to be fine."

"What if he's not?" 9 looked down at the ground. "I'm just so worried about him."

From the day 1 and 8 went missing, 9 hadn't stopped thinking about what might've happened. If something happened to him, he couldn't imagine what his life would be like without 1 beside him. It had been nearly two months since he and 1 confessed their feelings for each other.

"I should've gone with them," bemoaned 9.

5 snapped his head to him.

"9...," he said, "we're going to find them." He rested his hands on his shoulders. "Everything will be fine."

The zippered stitchpunk shrugged.

"I know that if this happened to 4," spoke 5, "I'd be searching ever nook and cranny for her."

9 couldn't argue with him there. It was true that he and 4 became an item last week. The devastation on her face when he died, and when he returned, she was just stunned. Everyone was ecstatic to have the others back alive. 9 couldn't imagine his life without 1 by his side; and 5 would agree to the same thing.

If only he had convinced 1 to stay behind and just let 8 go on his own. Maybe he could've convince him to allow 7 to accompany 8. If only he had done something to keep him from going.

"I just don't want anything to happen to him." 9's voice sounded shaky, and that was when 5 needed to do something.

"Hey, hey," he said, clasping 9's shoulders, "it's going to be okay. We're going to find 8, we're going to find 1."

"But–"

"1 knows you love him," reassured 5, "and you know he loves you."

"But what if I don't—"

"Don't say that you won't get to him in time because you will," said 5 firmly but gentle.

At this moment, 9 didn't see the point in talking back because everything he just said was true. He didn't even have the strength to tell him what he wanted to say.

"You're right," he quoth. He gripped his lightstaff. With a sigh he said, "Let's keep going."

He and 5 continued on.

The B.R.A.I.N. was gone, but many beasts still roamed the Emptiness. 9, as well as the others, had seen rogue Cat Beasts prowling the ruined city. They had taken down at least ten of them in the last two months. The thought of 1 being taken by a Cat Beast left 9 with an unpleasant feeling.

9 felt a twinge inside his stomach. He touched a hand to his stomach. 5 hadn't taken notice, which was a relief to 9. The pain subsided and he kept walking.

While their mission was their main priority, he wondered whether 7 and the others were all right. With 5 joining him, 7 was the only one who could protect them. It was senseless to bring her along.

"We should probably find shelter," said 5, looking up at the sky. "It'll be dark soon."

9 agreed and trailed beside him.

Until they return, she was the only one to keep the library safe.


1's optics snapped open. He quickly sat up, seeing his surroundings dark with dim lighting. Memories came to him to a certain degree. The ground he was sitting on was hard and cold. It took him a moment to realize it was glass. The wall around him was also glass. Looking up, he could see the bottleneck open.

A groan behind him let him know he wasn't alone. Turning around, he realized it was 8. He was stirring, his hand searching for the knife that was just not there. Come to think of it, he didn't see his magnet anywhere. What could have—

A noise broke his thoughts. 1 turned around a saw a feline shape slink through the dimly-lit room. He waited until it got closer. Pressing a hand against the glass that's when he realized what the bottle was balanced on. A pile of broken bricks and on top of that a wooden plank flanked by two metal pipes to keep it in place. Nails stuck out of the pile, its points sending out warnings to anyone who locked eyes with them. From the looks of it, the pile was weak and easily breakable. If either he or 8 moved, they would be done for.

1 heard a grunt escape 8's mouth. Turning to look at him, he saw the taller stitchpunk sit up, head turning from the left to the right. He finally noticed 1, and came to the conclusion that he and 1 were trapped and without weapons. The gargantuan stitchpunk also didn't notice the place they were imprisoned in.

"What," grunted 8, "what happened?"

It was then that 1 tried to remember. He remembered leaving the library to scout. They had traveled quite a few miles from their home. 1 recalled that he wandered over to retrieve something, but he didn't know what it was. Ignoring that for the time being, he continued doing a memory search. He remembered seeing a Cat Beast jumping from behind a fence. He and 8 tried to fight it off, but it seemingly overpowered them both. 1 wasn't sure what happened next; he must've lost consciousness after that. If only he could remember more.

1 looked up when he heard a sound. The shape—the Cat Beast—came into view. The light shining throughout the hole in the ceiling made the machine look more terrifying. They way it hid half of its body, it looked like a floating head in the darkness, red optic glowing, mouth agape. It was an unspeakable sight.

The beast moved closer. Its gaping mouth a cavern with a few missing teeth. It growled lowly, letting its prisoners know that it would not show them mercy. The Cat Beast turned and with one quick motion with its paw, sent a small pebble flying at the pile. It didn't hit the bottle but it ricocheted off a broken brick, bouncing off to nowhere.

A minute passed and the Cat Beast kept an eye on the two-stitchpunks. Its prisoners stared back at him with trepidation while trying to look brave. The beast circled around the pile once, never taking its red optic off.

Another moment passed and the Cat Beast turned away, slinking into the dark. 1 and 8 could hear its growls until they were no longer audible. It was gone. But for how long. For their sake, it was best to not risk it

"How long have we been here?," asked 1.

8 shrugged. "Heck if I knew," he groused optics looking at the bottleneck. He peered down, and that's when he finally noticed the nails sticking out of the pile. 8 came to a kneeling position, that was when the bottle swayed forward. He backed away, pupils wide. He heaved a breath. Sitting down, he exhaled, keeping his optics anywhere but the brick pile.

"We can't get out," said 1, "not without getting scraped on those nails." He glanced briefly at the nails before turning away.

To pass the time, 1 decided to get familiar with his surroundings. Rusted pieces of metal littered most of the floor. Windows decked the wall. The prominent feature were the endless rows of shelves. Upon those shelves were sheets of metal, light gleaming off their surfaces. From what he could guess, this was once a sheet metal warehouse.

1 looked down at the floor. He wondered whether 8 had dropped his knife. The Cat Beast must've thrown it away when it brought them here. He tried not to move for fear of tipping the bottle over and they would be in an even worse situation.

He was sure the others must be on their way searching for them. They had to be. Pressing his hand on the glass surface, he remembered one other thing he nearly forgot. 9.

He was probably searching for him at the moment. 1 turned and sat down, back against the glass wall. Touching a hand to his forehead, he counted down the seconds to his and 8's rescue.

The longing in him made him want to be back with 9 more and more.


Not bad for the first chapter, huh? Although it feels short, incomplete. I should've worked on it more, but I just felt so drained. (Still do).

Well, stay tuned for chapter two. I hope.