Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Six took in the sight before her. 

It had been a while since she had been here, hadn’t it? 

It was so far off in the distance, yet appeared so large and threatening as always, the trees and hills that stood in the way not offering any solace in blocking what she and many others would consider a blemish, a cancer on the world. 

The Pale City. 

The numerous buildings and blocks that made it up could be seen all the way up from where she stood. There was at least a couple of miles between her and it, yet she still felt like it wasn’t enough to separate her from the feeling of dread and fear she felt towards the city of static. Her eyes wandered to the thing that stood at the center of the city, the thing that brought ruination to all and created monsters from the darkest corners of one's mind. 

The Tower. 

It stood just like she remembered it, towering over every single building in the city, the tip of it breaching the clouds and creating a storm that consumed the whole city. Her face pulled back into a grimace, she wasn’t even near it and yet she still felt like the Broadcast it put out was ringing in her ears. 

The horrible sound that it produced was like nothing she had ever heard before, a constant low ringing sound with a horrible undertone that could only be described as screaming that constantly rung in one's ears, with only the safety of the buildings in the city offering reprieve from the horrendous sound. 

 It had been a long time since then, yet it still rung in her mind like it was just yesterday. 

The running, the screaming, the constant threat of danger around every corner and the brief moments of safety and the presence of a warm body next to her.  The city was full of dangers and that was why she chose to leave all that time ago. 

Ever since... 

She shook her head as memories boiled up, it wasn’t worth thinking about. 

It had been 7 years after all. 

7 years of travelling the world, moving from place to place, never settling in one area for too long before moving onto the next. It was a constant source of danger to be sure, but Six was never one to settle, that brought about a sense of complacency that set a person up for disaster. 

She had learned that in the Maw. 

Taking one last distasteful glance at the city in the distance, Six began to walk down the forest path that she had followed for the past hour.  The path in question was one that Six hoped would take her to the more Western side of the world, she had travelled the Eastern side for the past few years and as such exploring the other side made sense. 

Though she didn’t enjoy having to travel so close to the city. 

She hadn’t planned to of course, she had wanted to go another way, but the other way around involved getting a boat and despite the supposed safety of the sea, travelling near the waters of the Pale city was inviting disaster. This is what led her to where she was now, travelling through the large forests that surrounded the Pale city for a good few miles in every direction. 

The forests themselves didn’t seem as... intimidating as they did all those years ago. Perhaps it was because she got slightly bigger over the years, maybe it was because she had seen more and more awful things over time, numbing her to the world. 

Maybe it was because she just got older, who knows? 

Regardless, the trees and the scent in the air brought back memories, fuzzy yet lifelike, of the days when she was trapped in the Hunter’s basement. Trapped for several days in a cold dark room, left with nothing but a music box that she played endlessly to keep her mind occupied.   

Until he cam- 

She shook her head once more. 

She hated being around this place, it brought back memories that were unneeded. 

Oh yes, can’t dwell on that now can we?  

That voice was also unneeded and as such, was ignored. 

Six took to taking in her surroundings again, observing the tree line for anything that might jump out and attack her. It was rare for adults to wander the forests and roads that connected the places they lived, but when they did it was often an idea to stay out of their way. 

Though for someone like Six, she didn’t have to avoid them, she could just go through them. 

But still, she liked to remain undetected, at least for now. 

So, she remained on guard, taking in her surroundings and preparing for the worst. 

Like she always did. 

Then, she noticed something. 

The path she was following started to become more and more barren, less greenery present and more of the earth underneath exposed and along with-it footprints. 

Children footprints, at least 3 sets and they were fresh. 

She narrowed her eyes, following the footsteps of whoever travelled along these roads before her and wondering where they went. Eventually, the footsteps stopped following the beaten path and turned into the forest in the direction of what seemed to be a cliffside. 

Six paused at where the steps veered off, children rarely went into the woods except when they made camp and stayed in natural cover to protect themselves from any predators or adults that lurked around. As such, an opportunity was presented. Though Six wanted to continue her journey on the beaten path, she was running low on supplies.  

Food was rarely an issue for her, though it couldn’t help having rations for emergencies. No, she was running low on medical supplies and the sleeping bag she once possessed had been reduced to rags after a scuffle with some other kids. It had been cold the past few nights and the raincoat and thin blanket she had weren’t exactly cutting it. 

If she managed to find other children, she might be able to at least get a few items to help her on her journey, either by asking and bargaining, or by force, though she would leave that option till last. She turned her head slightly to the backpack she carried and gave it a slight shake, feeling the lack of weight she got in response. 

She sighed internally, it was time to interact with other people, hopefully. 

With a quick step, she began to follow the footsteps off the path, taking heed of where they led to make sure she wasn’t following them into a trap. After she followed the tracks for a few minutes, she noticed that the route the footsteps took wasn’t random, it was carved out just like the path before, only less so.  

Maybe it wasn’t a random camp, perhaps a group had set up for a few months and had more supplies than she thought? 

She continued to follow the trail for another few minutes, until the landscape around her started to change. The trees started to become less dense, random names and phrases were carved into the trees that still stood and the pathway became even more defined. She slowed her pace, there was something else going on here. 

Eventually, she began to see the cliff more clearly tower over the trees and walked into a clearing to see both a welcome and unwelcome sight. 

A wall. 

Not just any wall though. 

A wall for a village. 

The wall was clearly made of wood, logs of varying sizes lined up side by side to create a long line that seemed to stretch along for a while before meeting the cliff behind the wall. The logs themselves were sharpened on top, more than likely to prevent any adults that got the idea to simply climb over a second thought about it. The outside of the wall was also lined with bricks and rocks, keeping the wall sturdy in the event of strong winds or adults hoping to simply smash it. 

 Children rarely grouped up together to form communities and it was even rarer for them to form villages to settle down and form some semblance of living. Six had seen a few villages throughout her journey, usually stopping at them for odd jobs to get supplies, rarely ever staying at them for more than a few days. This village in particular, was looking to be one of the largest ones she had ever seen. 

It was a welcome sight because now she KNEW they would have the supplies she was looking for. 

It was an unwelcome sight because now she KNEW there would be more people than she could put up with. 

Yes, not exactly a people person, are we?  

She ignored the voice once more, instead choosing to move out of the tree line and approach the massive gate that stood before her. However, as soon as she approached the gate two figures appeared on either side of the gate on the wall and held what appeared to be spears in their hands. 

“Oi!” The one to her right called out, their voice revealed to be that of a boys. “Stop right there!” 

Six considered the request for a second before complying and standing still, tilting her head to stare up at the boy. 

Despite the angle, Six could make out that the boy was no older than 12, his mouth and nose were covered by a thin strip of green cloth, leaving only his green eyes to be exposed to the world. His hair was shaven yet somehow greasy and his entire body was covered with what appeared to be armor made from random pieces of wood and animal bones strapped together. The most noticeable thing about him was the green stripe that went across his forehead, more than likely from paint. 

The boy appraised her for a second before he talked once more. 

“You don’t look like anyone I've seen around here before, are you a traveler?” He asked, his voice low and spear ready in his hands. 

She doubted he or the other one could do anything to her, but she replied regardless by nodding. 

“Then are you here for something? You looking for a place to rest?” He asked, his voice slightly more relaxed. 

“Supplies.” She simply replied, her voice quiet and slightly raspy. It had been a while since she had talked to anyone. 

The boy nodded at her reply. “Anything specific you’re looking for?” 

“Medicine and a sleeping bag.” Was her simple reply. 

The boy seemed to frown at what she requested. “Might be a bit difficult to give you those, but Ardy might be able to sort you out.” 

If Six had to guess, this ‘Ardy’ was probably someone who handled the supplies for this place and by the sounds of it, they weren’t exactly giving away medical supplies.  

Six rolled her eyes; she would just have to ‘bargain’ harder then wouldn’t she? 

She then waited for several seconds, expecting the gate to swing open.  

It did not. 

She looked up at the boy on the wall in confusion and nodded her head at the gate to him.  

The boy merely replied. “Name?” 

Six raised her eyebrow slightly beneath her hood, why was he asking for her name? 

He seemed to sense her confusion as he replied. “It’s for safety reasons, just to make sure you aren’t someone who's wanted or a maniac.” 

That was a new one. 

Never in her experience of dealing with villages had they ever asked for her name or anything really. They had usually only asked what she was after and that was it and Six would be lying if she didn’t prefer it that way. 

But still, she really wanted those supplies and if that only cost her name then that just meant she wouldn’t stick around as long. 

So, with a mental sigh she replied. “Six.” 

The boy nodded at her. “Alright, lemme go check with management and then will let you in, ok? 

Six merely nodded. 

The boy then turned to the other person on the wall who had simply observed the whole thing. “Jess, keep an eye on her whilst I go check, alright?” 

The other guard, now known as Jess, nodded at him.  

He then flipped her a thumbs up, before disappearing from her view to wherever he needed to go. This left Six on her own with the single guard and her own thoughts. 

There was nothing but silence for several seconds, something she greatly enjoyed. 

“So...” The guard, now called Jess, started awkwardly, breaking the silence. 

“What's your story?” 

Six sighed. 

She hoped the boy would return soon. 

(Credit to Kazoo for this artwork: https://twitter.com/Zooskazoo)

Chapter Text

Greeney felt the slightly warm dirt beneath his feet jump slightly as he hit the ground from the wall.  

He wanted to get to the boss's tent quicker so he could get back to his boring shift and get it over with sooner and if that meant jumping from the wall and risking his legs, then that was an alright trade in his eyes. He then began to walk at a decent pace, wincing slightly as his legs protested from the fall. 

Okay so maybe not the best trade. 

He continued walking towards the tent, the sounds of the other residents being busy surrounding him as he made his way over. However, he stopped with a slight wince as he heard his name being called. 

“Greeney!” A voice called out, younger than his and filled with excitement. 

God, he hated that name. 

It wasn’t even his actual name! 

It just so happened that he wore a lot of things that were green, had green eyes and a green stripe that ran across his forehead because some kid thought it would be funny to do it. 

And he still couldn’t get it off! 

Regardless, he turned to the voice in question, finding the small form of a child younger than him running over.

With a sigh, he smiled and waved at the small boy. “Heya Nev.” 

Nev was one of the youngest kids in the village, being only 7 and one of the more recent members that joined. He had come with his older sister, Jess, who was currently watching the wall and girl for him. He was quite an ordinary kid all things considered, brown hair, blue eyes, a face that was young with a little button nose and chubby cheeks, constantly asking everyone about everything and generally being a little rascal. 

He got on some people's nerves, even his, but he still found the boy endearing. 

“Whatcha doing huh? Something important, something exciting?” Nev asked, his little hands shaking with excitement.  

Greeney merely shook his head at the young boy. “Nah, just checking in with ‘management’.” He stated, tilting his head at the gate. “Got a new person at the gate.” 

Despite how boring it would have sounded to any other person, Nev simply became more excited, releasing an ‘oooh’ of curiosity. 

“A new person?” He asked. “Are they cool looking, do they have a cool hat or jacket like the Boss?” 

Greeney turned his head to look at the gate, a contemplative look taking over his face as he thought about the girl, Six was it? 

There was something... off about her, he didn’t know what though. 

The girl had approached the gate almost silently and if it weren’t for the raincoat she was wearing, he might not have known she was there.  

That was something that seemed off, the raincoat. 

The coat had clearly been for someone of a smaller stature than the girl, yet she seemed to still wear it, though not without consequence. The raincoat had clearly seen modification to make it fit her, the edges of coat had bits of similar material sewn on to increase its size, yet not all the materials matched, resulting in a patchwork of blues, reds and greens clashing violently together. 

Even the hood of the coat didn’t seem like the intended one, as he had made out the stich lines around it when he talked to her. The hood had also blocked much of her face, leaving only her mouth and black bangs to be seen. 

Talking to her hadn’t revealed anything either, only that she seemed completely disinterested in talking to him and only interested in getting the things she wanted. 

Overall, she seemed completely mysterious and cold. 

Wouldn’t be the first person like that to cross through here. 

But still, there was something more to her...

“Greeney?” Nev asked confused, breaking him out of his little thought bubble. 

“They’re different, I'll give ‘em that.” He finally said, not wanting to explain too much to the younger boy. 

Nev simply stared for a couple of seconds before returning to his excited self. “They must be cool then if you’re saying that, I can’t wait to meet them!” 

 “Sure, sure.” He said sarcastically, patting the boy’s head before moving past him, something which annoyed him slightly. 

But still, the boy smiled and waved him goodbye and Greeney merely gave a single wave in response without looking. 

He continued walking to the tent, increasing his pace slightly to make up for the lost time he spent talking to Nev. Eventually, the tent came into view, its cloth-like exterior juxtaposed with the cliff it was set up against. He made his way up to the tent, climbing the few stairs made from rock that led up to it before pulling the curtain back and sticking his head in.  

The interior was dimly lit, the only light sources being a lamp hung overhead and a candle lit on the Boss's desk.  

Which was currently occupied by the Boss himself. 

He was sat down, his form hungover the desk, made from a long piece of wood balanced on two buckets and a cloth flung over it. Greeney could make out the sound of a pencil being used as he wrote something, more than likely orders for the other guards. Greeney cleared his throat, the sound getting the boss to stop writing, but not look up from his desk. 

“Heya Boss, know where ‘Management’ is?” He asked, the word ‘Management’ coming out of his mouth like raw sewage.  

The Boss simply replied by pointing sharply at the other desk in the corner that was lazily slanted and currently occupied. He uttered a quiet ‘Thank you’ before entering the tent and making his way over to the desk in question, taking care to avoid the other figure in the room who was stood next to the Boss’s desk. Once he reached the desk, he placed a hand on his hip as he looked at ‘Management’. 

God, he wondered how he had managed to make people call him that. 

‘Management’ was a boy called Azzy, a boy who was simultaneously both the smartest person in the village and the laziest. He was 2 years older than Greeney, his face was very angular along with long blond hair that always seemed to glow and hazelnut eyes that always seemed to be filled with nothing but boredom. Currently, he was doing what he always seemed to be doing. 

Sleeping. 

His feet were propped on the desk and his head balanced on his shoulder, whilst his arms hung like he was dead. 

Greeney shook his head at the sight, how this guy managed to organize everything around here whilst being asleep half the time baffled him. Then again, maybe that was why he was the head of organizing everything, because he was so lazy that he found the most efficient way to do it. 

Greeney paused at that thought. 

Nah, he was just lazy. 

So, with that in mind, Greenery woke him up the only way he ever did.  

By pulling his chair back so that he lost balance. 

Immediately, Azzy’s eyes flung open as his legs flailed themselves around for a bit before they found the floor again. He flicked his head around before his eyes fell onto Greeney and his slightly panicked gaze lessened into a look that was both equally annoyed and tired. 

“You know, I think I told you not to do that before.” Azzy stated, his voice easily conveying his annoyance. 

Greeney merely rolled his eyes. “And I'm pretty sure Alle told you not to fall asleep whilst she was present.” He stated, nodding his head to the figure standing over the Boss’s desk. 

Azzy merely gave a lazy smile. “Relax, I told her I ain’t got much to do today, so she let me have a rest for a bit.” 

“Well then I'm sorry to interrupt your beauty nap then.” He said sarcastically. “But unfortunately, I got something for you to do.” 

Azzy merely rolled his eyes and waved his hand nonchalantly for him to continue. 

“Got a new person at the gate, need you to double-check and then log them in.” He said, leaning himself onto the desk slightly. 

“Right, right.” Azzy replied lazily, reaching onto his desk to sort through some of the papers lazily strewn about before grabbing one that was apparently the right one and grabbing an incredibly short pencil. 

“Name?” He asked, propping his feet back upon the desk. 

“Six.” 

Immediately upon uttering the girl's name, the atmosphere seemed to change as the telltale sound of a pencil snapping was heard. 

Greeney turned his head to the sound, finding it to be the Boss’s pencil that had snapped in two in his grip. 

And said Boss was staring right at him, his eyes boring into him with a look that he had never seen before. 

“Boss?” He asked, both concerned and confused whilst out of the corner of his eye he could see that Azzy was just as confused.  

The Boss merely stood up from his desk, his form towering over Greeney as he approached. 

“Where did you hear that name Greeney?” He asked, his voice low and filled with barley contained anger that he had never heard before. 

The question snapped him out of his stupor as he replied. “F-from the girl at the gate Boss, said she was looking for supplies.” He stuttered slightly from the tone of voice he had never heard before, compared to the usual friendly voice he had. 

“And what did she look like?” His Boss further probed, lowering himself slightly so he could look directly at Greeney. 

Greeney fidgeted his feet slightly as he responded. “She... she looked about as old as Alle, Boss. Black hair and a bright yellow raincoat that looked stitched together and too small for her.” 

The Boss seemed to devour his words as something flashed across his eyes. He straightened to his full height again, his gaze turning to the tent entrance as he clenched his knuckles hard enough for Greeney to hear them crack under pressure. Eventually, Alle came over from her usual place and laid a hand on the Boss’s shoulder, saying nothing yet Greeney could tell she was greatly concerned. 

The action caused his Boss to stiffen slightly before looking at Alle and releasing a deep breath that sounded annoyed. There was a brief pause in the room as nobody did anything, only broken by the sound of the Boss cracking his jaw. 

He then turned to Greeney, his more composed state returning as he placed his hands behind his back. 

“Let them in Greeney, but bring them straight to my tent.” He ordered before turning his head to look at Alle. “You go with him as well, Alle.” 

Alle herself tilted her head slightly in confusion at his order, but said nothing of it, instead walking over to the tent entrance to wait for Greeney. 

At this, Greeney flashed his Boss a thumbs-up and went to go join Alle. However as he turned, he felt his Boss’s hand lay itself on his shoulder. 

“Be careful and keep an eye on her, she’s dangerous.” The words were spoken quietly, yet the same protectiveness he always spoke with was even more prevalent. 

Greeney merely nodded without looking, instead walking to the tent entrance and stepping out, the sound of Alle’s footsteps following closely behind. 

As he walked back to the gate, he had only one thought. 

Just who was this girl?

“But does he listen to what I say? Nooo, instead he goes and...”  

Six had begun to tune out the girl a few minutes ago, trying her best to NOT interact with the girl had clearly not worked, as she didn’t seem to understand that she wasn’t interested at all. Instead, the girl had begun to blather on about her younger brother who constantly got in trouble and the other kid, Greeney was it? Who apparently looked after them sometimes? Six hadn’t the faintest idea. 

Now, she stared into space as the girl kept talking, completely ignorant of Six. 

That was until a voice called out her name. 

The action caused Six to snap to attention, as she turned her gaze to the girl up top. 

The girl was clearly talking to someone below her, yet the distance between them made it nearly impossible for Six to hear them, only catching onto the words of ‘Boss, gate and tent’. Then, the girl took a single glance back at Six before disappearing from sight behind the wall. 

Six stood for a few seconds waiting, before the sound of latches and bolts being undone was heard. The gate then creaked and groaned as they were pulled open and the inside of the village was exposed.  

The boy from before came into view once more, a fake smile on his face as he welcomed Six inside with a gesture. 

“Welcome to New Dream Village.” 

Six stepped inside, taking in the sight of the village as the gate doors closed behind her. 

The village was made up of tents and wooden structures that stretched as far as the wall could allow, stacked shoulder to shoulder and some of them on top of each other. Each one was unique, a different design from the last some more sturdy looking than others, different woods and cloths used to build the makeshift huts that the residents called home.  

Yet there were three structures that stood out to Six. 

The first was a hut built bigger than the others that rested on what Six assumed was the Eastern side of the wall. The outside of it was coloured differently to the rest, marked with whites and reds, a cross made of crimson and symbols that indicated medicine and care. It was built more sturdier as well, the majority of it being made of what appeared to be metal and wood more correctly placed.  

The second structure on the western side was one that actually gave Six pause, in both its placement and the rarity of it. 

It was a shed. 

Not just any shed though, an adult shed. 

It was bigger than the one that the Hunter had stored a spare gun in all that time ago and had clearly seen better days, but it still stood thanks to what appeared to be shoddy repairs with random pieces of timber. The shed's door was clearly open, a few children entering and exiting, moving what appeared to be sacks of food and supplies in and out of the shed. The window of the shed was also clearly smashed some time ago, the front of it now having a platform that currently housed a guard that stood watching over the door. 

It was very rare for children to take residence inside adult structures, even as small as a shed, so it surprised her that it was done here. Though it did make her question why exactly there was a shed out here when there was apparently no home to speak of. Regardless, she turned her gaze away from it to the last structure. 

The third thing wasn’t a structure, not really anyway. Instead, it was a statue situated nearly in the center of the village that was made of stone. Even from where she stood, Six could make out that the statue was of shoddy craftsmanship, though that was to be expected of what was more than likely kids attempting to carve stone. But still, she could make out what it resembled. 

Two hands, fingers interlocked in a firm grasp that ensured neither would part from the other, a sign of trust and friendship to enable strength to face the world. 

Six felt like snorting at that, it hadn’t worked for her, had it? 

Satisfied with her observations, Six made to move further into the village to find this ‘Ardy’ the boy had talked about. 

But she was stopped by a hand on her shoulder and a calm but commanding. “Hey.” 

She turned her head quickly to whoever had placed a hand on her, finding it to be the boy from before. As much as Six wanted to physically slap the hand and boy away from her, she knew it wasn’t a great idea, instead choosing to shrug his hand off and affix him with a glare. 

The boy, Greeney she remembered, merely placed his hand back to his side. “I know you’re wanting to get your supplies and leave, but there's something you need to do first.” 

Six lifted an eyebrow under her hood. 

He gestured to something to her right with a thumb. “The Boss wants to see you first before you do anything, don’t know what about though.” He stated to her, though the last part was muttered more to himself seemingly. 

Six narrowed her eyes at what the boy said, what did the supposed leader of this place want with her? 

She didn’t like it, it felt like a trap or something else was going to happen. “And if I refuse?” She asked, wanting to see what would happen. 

“Then you can leave.” A new voice stated behind her, that of a girl’s that sounded no nonsense in every capacity. 

Six turned to the new voice to indeed find a new girl behind her. She was about the same age as her, dark skin, long black hair tied back into several braids and dark brown eyes that looked hardened and prepared for anything. The girl wore armour like the rest, but it appeared to be made mainly of bone compared to the others, the most defining piece of it being a large bird skull that resembled a hawk being tied over her shoulder. The girl also appeared to have a large sword of some kind that appeared hand-made strapped to her back, ready to be drawn.

The girl’s face was currently giving Six a look that screamed ‘Try anything and see what happens’ that would have intimidated others. 

Six could care less however, she had seen it before. 

But she still needed those supplies and despite how much this felt like a trap, she would unfortunately have to comply. So, with a silent huff of regret, Six turned her gaze back to the boy and gave him a nod to indicate she would follow.  

The boy nodded back and began to walk, Six silently following behind him with the girl’s footsteps following her quickly after. She took in more of the village as they walked to wherever they were taking her, seeing more huts and children moving around, some working, some playing, but it left Six with a question that she wanted answered. 

“How many kids live here?” She asked, her question directed at the boy. 

He glanced back for a second, a look of confusion on his face, though it didn’t last long as he looked forward again. “Last time I checked there was over 100 kids living here, though I’m not so sure since I’m not someone who keeps count.” He answered, a bit of uncertainty in his voice. 

Six said nothing, instead silently digesting the new information. If what the boy said was true, then this WAS the biggest village she had even been to. That also meant if any trouble happened, she would have a harder time than she thought. 

They kept walking in silence as Six continued her observations, making a mental escape path in her head in case things went south. They passed the statue that stood in the center and as they did Six noticed something about it. The two interlocked hands that stood slightly taller than Six were covered in smaller handprints, clearly from children who had dipped their hands in paint.  

The girl behind her noticed her stare at the statue and spoke up. “If you’re wondering, the handprints are from every child that has lived here, past and present.” She stated, her voice slightly... sorrowful? At the last part, Six couldn’t’ tell and truth to be told, didn’t really care. 

They continued onwards until a large tent, bigger than the rest that littered the village came into view, propped up against the cliff face and stood on a rocky outcrop that had a few steps leading up to it. The boy turned around as they reached the tent curtains and gave Six a nod towards them. 

“The Boss is inside.” He said with a flick of his thumb.  

“He’s a bit high strung at the moment, so please don’t be disrespectful to him, he’s dealing with a lot of stuff at the moment." He added quickly afterwards, putting a lot of stress into his words to get them across. 

He really didn’t want to be putting more stress on the Boss, he was dealing with a lot already, especially with the recent adults patrolling nearby causing a lot of grief for them. 

Even if it was the Boss who wanted this girl brought to him. 

Six merely let out an unamused huff and shoved herself right past the boy, causing both him and the girl to let out sounds of annoyance and panic. If this ‘Boss’ didn’t want any disrespect when he was dealing with other things, then he shouldn’t have wasted her time by bringing her to meet him. 

The curtains parted as she entered the tent, her eyes adjusting to the low light level of the tent. 

Then everything stopped, as her eyes locked onto the back of what she assumed was the ‘Boss’. 

But that wasn’t who he was to her. 

She didn’t register the presence of 2 more bodies standing behind her, their voices drowned out by the sheer overwhelming presence of who stood before her. 

He finally noticed their presence, slowly turning around to reveal himself. 

And as soon as he did, his eyes immediately locked onto hers. 

Likewise, so did hers. 

It didn’t matter that he'd grown taller. 

It didn’t matter that his clothes had changed slightly... 

And it DEFINITLEY didn’t matter that his face was covered. 

Because that was how she knew him. 

When his eyes locked onto hers, there was a brief moment, very brief, where they were filled with shock, as if they couldn’t believe what was before them. But that faded quickly, instead replaced by resentment and hatred that she expected.  

Hands behind back, drawn to full height, the former friend before her opened his mouth behind his mask and spoke the first words to her in seven years. 

“Six.” His voice was older, deeper to be sure, but behind it all was still the same voice she had known, now filled with bitter anger. 

And she repaid in kind, for she had not forgotten either.  

“Mono.” Her voice was low, a whisper that spoke of her own anger towards him. 

They stood before each other, neither moving nor seemingly breathing, the tension in the air palpable. 

Meanwhile, the three other occupants in the tent watched on, only one thing on their minds...

What the hell was going on? 

(Credit to Burbank for this artwork: https://twitter.com/burbank_talent) 

(Credit to MalakiTortilla for this artwork: https://twitter.com/MalakiTortilla)

Chapter Text

(Credit to @_Elizx_ for their depiction of the scene from the previous chapter.)

He stared at her for several seconds, his mind filled with emotions long since buried under the passage of time and the stress of the world they lived in. Yet, despite it all, he still couldn’t believe it. 

She was here, the girl who he thought was his friend, was here. 

Six, the girl clad in yellow who had tried to drop him to his doom. 

His former friend, his betrayer. 

Mono felt his body vibrate with emotion, anger, hatred, resentment and even a tinge of fear all swirled inside him as he tried to keep it under lock and key. The tension in the room was high as both stared each other down, both waiting for the other to do something so they could act. 

Eventually, one of them did. 

Mono turned his head to the other occupants in the room, an unreadable look in his eyes as he addressed them. 

“I need everyone out of the tent, please.” He said, the tone of his voice unknown to both Greeney and Azzy as he turned his gaze back to Six. “I need to talk with her... alone.” 

Azzy nodded his head nervously, not used to seeing Mono angry over... anything really.  He tiptoed his way around him and around the other occupants, before rushing out of the tent with a quick burst of speed. 

Greeney meanwhile, simply took a nervous glance between the two of them, unsure of what to make of what was happening and whether to question him. Eventually, he complied and gave a two-finger wave at Mono before walking out, taking a quick glance back as he did. 

This left only Alle, who stood watching Six with a glare as she crossed her arms. 

“That means you as well, Alle.” Mono informed her, knowing that she would want to keep an eye on Six. 

Alle turned to Mono with a surprised and concerned expression on her face. Never in her time of knowing him had he EVER told her to sit outside whilst he discussed something with someone, it simply didn’t happen. Heck, on several occasions he had to barter to make sure she stayed in meetings with other kids, often ones who didn’t want multiple people to know things. 

Now, for him to tell her to leave, for someone she had never seen before in all her time she had known him? That simply didn’t add up. 

She opened her mouth to complain, to tell him that it was a bad idea to leave himself alone with someone who looked ready to kill him. “Mon-” 

But he stopped her before he could. 

“Please.” He repeated, his voice interrupting her with a stern tone that left no room for arguments. 

She closed her mouth, her mind telling her to speak up once more and try to get him to reconsider. But in the end, she couldn’t argue with him, he was her best friend after all and she didn’t want to hurt him in any way.  

Even if she knew better sometimes. 

So, she let out a breath of anger and fixed Six with a glare. 

“You do anything to him and I swear on my life, you’ll not leave this place in one piece.” Her voice was heated, a tone of voice she rarely used, but one that many knew in the village knew when used meant not to challenge her. 

The girl simply let an unamused huff, clearly not intimidated by her threat. 

Alle simply gave her another glare before turning and leaving the tent with anger clear as day on her face. 

This left only them. 

Alone. 

He turned his gaze back to her, to his former friend, finding her to still be glaring at him with emotions from days long past, from memories that happened all that time ago. 

He stared right back with the same emotions, with the same memories. 

It was time to get down to business, to ‘catch up’ with his ‘old friend.’ 

This was going to be fun, wasn't it?

Alle parted the curtains with what was perhaps more force than was necessary, but at the moment she didn’t care. 

Mono, her best friend, had just told her to wait outside whilst he had a ‘talk’ with some girl she had never seen before. A girl, who for all intensive purposes, seemed ready to lunge and take his head off. Not that she doubted his skill of course far from it, but she could tell that the girl wasn’t some random kid who just knew how to scurry and survive. 

No, the girl was clearly older, stronger, smarter than most, she bore eyes that had clearly seen much and despite how much of her was covered, Alle could still make out scars that marked her as experienced. 

That still didn’t answer the question however, of who the hell she was. 

So clouded in her thoughts, Alle barley managed to avoid walking into someone who had also been told to leave. She stopped herself short of bumping into him, causing them to instead jump slightly as they noticed her presence. 

“Alle?” Greeney asked, confusion apparent in his voice. “You got sent out too?” 

She merely nodded in response, wanting to avoid talking since she knew if she did, she would undoubtedly start letting her emotions get the better of her. 

Greeney’s face simply became more confused at her answer. “You? He sent out YOU?” 

Alle nodded again, her face gaining a look of annoyance on it. 

He seemed to stutter for a few seconds, as if her answer was simply not registering in his head. Eventually, he managed to compose himself long enough to speak a single word. 

“Why?” 

She took a deep breath to calm herself before she replied. “I don’t know Greeney, I really don’t” 

Greeney simply stared at her for a few seconds before regaining his usual composure. “Well... Its gotta be something about that girl right? Six was it?” He inquired, flashing his thumb to the tent they walked away from. 

She gave an unamused snort at that. “Probably, I’ve never seen him react like that to anybody, certainly not anybody I’ve met.” 

Greeney nodded at that and turned his head. 

Only to turn it right back. “Wait, what?” 

Alle turned to look at him with a raised eyebrow, why did he sound confused? 

“You’ve never met her before?” He asked incredulously. 

“No.” She clenched her fist slightly, as she hissed out the word, that was the main reason she was angry at the moment, because she didn’t know  

Greeney looked at her with even more confusion than before. “Haven’t you known the Boss since... you know? New Dream was founded?” 

Alle replied with a slight smile at the memories of the founding, when they decided to forge a home for everyone. “I did and I knew him before that.” 

“Right...” Greeney replied, drawing out the word. “Which was how long ago now?” 

Alle sighed at him, what was he trying to get at?  

Regardless, she replied. “Just shy of 7 years now, met him in the City.” 

Greeney lifted a confused finger at Alle. “So... in the nearly 7 years you’ve known the Boss, you have NEVER-” He pointed the finger at her. “Seen this girl before?” 

She shook her head in annoyance. “No Greeney, I have never seen nor heard Mono talk about anybody like her.” 

“But...” He started, trying to think of the right questions to ask. “You’ve known him... forever and the Boss didn’t have anybody before that, right?” 

Alle nodded her head at that. “As far as I know that’s correct, he hasn’t had anybody before like that and I’ve known him for-” 

“Wait.”  

She felt her thoughts stop suddenly as an old memory, one that she had shunted away as unnecessary, came to the surface. 

“There was one time... a few months after I met him, we were talking about how we met and he apologized to me.” Her voice became unsure as she relived the memory, focusing on what he had said at the time.  

“Apologized?” Greeney replied, confused. “For what?” 

Alle let a small laugh escape her. “He wasn’t exactly... friendly when I first met him. He had a lot of issues with trusting me, took me a long time to even get him to laugh at my jokes.” 

Greeney felt his eyebrows rise in amusement. “You have jokes?” 

Alle rolled her eyes at him with a small smile before continuing. 

“Eventually, he did and he apologized to me for being so rude and untrusting.” Her brows then became furrowed as she spoke the next part. 

“He told me it was because he had a horrible experience with someone. Told me that they nearly killed him after they went through a lot together.” 

She watched as Greeney’s eyebrows also became furrowed as he thought about what she had just said before he frowned slightly.  

“Do you think she's...?” He nodded his head towards the tent that they now stood a good few meters away from. 

Alle frowned slightly before turning her head to look at the tent. “Maybe, it would certainly explain how he reacted. I’ve never seen him act like this to somebody, not even Lez.” 

Greeney nodded at that, he obviously didn’t know Mono as long as Alle, but he certainly knew what type of person he was, as such the reaction from him was certainly out of character. 

“Well... If she is then, that isn’t exactly...” He started to say, waving his hand about as he tried to find the right word. 

“Good, great, amazing, fantastic...?” Alle stated sarcastically, lifting a finger on her hand for each word. 

“I was gonna say easy.” He finished with a roll of his eyes. “Can you imagine talking to someone who tried to kill you? I mean... what would you even talk about?” 

“I doubt they're talking about the ‘good times’ Greeney.” Alle replied with air quotes. “More than likely Mono’s wondering why she's here, if she IS that person.” 

“Still... It must be awkward.” He said, cringing inwardly as he imagined the horrible interaction between them. 

“It's probably very far from awkward.” Alle stated, shaking her head before turning it to the tent. “More than likely they're currently trying to stop each other from jumping at each other's throats.” 

Well...  

This is awkward, isn’t it?  

Six rarely agreed with her shadowy counterpart, finding it to be a constant source of unwanted noises and opinions that she rarely wanted. 

However, on this occasion she certainly agreed with it, as she tried her best to avoid looking at the boy sitting across from her. 

It had been him who had sat down first of course, when the girl had left, Alle if Six remembered correctly, he had returned his gaze back to her to give a hate-filled glare before moving away from her, defiantly showing his back to her, as if daring her to strike. He had then walked around the desk at the center of the tent and sat down, never once breaking eye contact with her. 

Six had followed quickly afterwards, dragging a chair nosily across the floor and despite the throws laid on the stone to make it more comfortable, it did little to cushion the horrible scraping sound it made, much to the boy’s annoyance. Once she had sat down, they had continued their staring contest, neither backing down from it. 

That was 10 minutes ago, however. 

After a while, both of them had clearly grown frustrated at neither backing down, which had slowly allowed both of their tempers to cool down slightly. They were still angry of course, but neither of them willing to talk simply led to an awkward, hate-filled atmosphere, where both parties wanted the other to talk, just so they could jump down their throat. 

So now, both of them sat idly, hate still bubbling beneath the surface, but neither of them acting on it. 

Still, it had given time for Six to see how Mono had changed. 

He’d grown taller, that was for sure. 

He had always teased her back then for being a couple inches taller than her, constantly making short jokes at her expense. She remembered telling him that she would get bigger, that one day she would tower over him. A silly promise she had made. 

Well, that promise undoubtedly didn’t pan out. 

Where he once simply had to move his eyes to see her, now he had to move his entire head just to look down at her. That wasn’t to say she hadn’t got bigger herself, but he was clearly a head taller than her, if not more. 

His clothes had changed as well of course, though not much. 

The same colour palette was there, a dour mix of greens and browns, the same type of pants were clearly worn, though obviously not the same ones, as they appeared to have more pockets sewn on them. He still worked barefoot as well, just like her after all this time. 

The trench coat looked like the same one he had all those years ago, but she wasn’t certain, though it would clearly explain the small size. Where it had once draped to below the boy’s knees, it now hung just below his waist, now more resembling a jacket. It had seen clearly action, rips and tears were abundant throughout it, many of them sewn up and quite professionally at that. The collar of the coat had also seen some kind of animal fur sewn on, brown in colouration and quite fluffy looking, giving him a kind of regal appearance. 

But the most important piece was still there of course. 

The bag. 

It wasn’t the same one of course, he’d grown too big for it to fit and if Six remembered correctly, he didn’t have it the last time she’d seen him. But still, it looked the same, a brown paper bag with eyeholes cut out allowing him to see the world, complete with a few tears around the bottom of it. 

All in all, he simply looked the same, but just... older. 

Though it wasn’t like she changed much either. 

Even with her observations complete, it still left them in this awkward situation. 

She continued to avoid looking at him, instead focusing on the lovely stone floor that they sat on, whilst he drummed his fingers on the desk with reserved agitation. 

Then another 5 minutes passed and eventually, the silence was broken. 

“Alright, enough of this.” Mono finally said, his frustration clear as day.  

Six turned her head to look at him, only to find an accusatory finger pointed at her. 

“What the hell are you doing here?” Mono questioned, the amount of accusation in his voice was only trumped by his anger. 

Wow, you can tell he still hates you if that’s the first thing he asks you after nearly 7 years of not seeing each other.  

She ignored her shadow and instead focused on Mono. 

“I could ask you the same thing.” She replied, her tone cold as she addressed him, though the venom could still be felt under it. 

She watched as Mono curled his fingers in frustration and his eyes narrowed at her. However, despite his frustrations, he answered. 

“I founded this place, Six.” He spat out her name like he would choke on it. “I’m the leader of this sanctuary, that’s why I’M here.” 

He then returned his accusatory finger to her. “So why are YOU here? Or would you rather not say?” Despite the bag, Six knew that he was grinning behind those last words. 

She scoffed, she had nothing to hide. “Passing through, wanted supplies, didn’t know you were here.” 

“Thats a load of crap.” He replied almost instantly. “You expect me to believe you just wandered back through this place for a nostalgia trip.” His voice becoming more heated as he continued. 

Six felt her face morph into a scowl. “Would have avoided this place like death if I had known you were here.” 

Mono let out a ‘hmph’ of indignation. “Guess you’re right” He leaned back in his char slightly. “You wouldn’t have wanted to see one of your ‘failures’ after all, would you?” 

Her eyes narrowed. “Don't start.” She warned, wanting to avoid dredging the past up, it would just lead nowhere. 

Mono let out an uncharacteristic growl at her words before slamming his fist on the desk with anger. Six felt her muscles tense and restrained herself to not call upon her shadowy ‘gifts’. 

That was the last thing that was needed here. 

He let his hand raise itself again to point at her. “Don’t you dare try and ignore what you did.” He growled out, the venom in his voice overflowing. “What you did back then was wrong, horrible, awful, disgusting Six, something a monster would do.” 

“Or did you forget?” 

Six narrowed her eyes. 

She punched him.  

Six was someone who didn’t get angry often. She could get annoyed, yes, but she would rarely get frustrated or annoyed enough to resort to violence born of emotion that was for sure.  

Which was why the punch she just threw was different.  

She had called him out, shouted and screamed at him, how everything was his fault. He had caused her so much pain over the period of just a couple of weeks, more than the years she had spent in the mansion. He had come under the guise of a helping hand, a friend who had just wanted to work together to live through this hellish world.  

And Six, like the naïve child she was, had trusted him.  

Then what had happened?  

She had been dragged through hell and high water through this forsaken city, by this... boy if she could call him that, because he had wanted to ‘fix’ things, because he believed everything could go back to ‘normal’ whatever that was.  

He had dragged her through places of torture, the School, the Hospital, the Tower.  

Oh, the Tower....  

Six could still feel the pain ringing in her head, in her chest, in her soul , it hurt so much.  

So... so... much.  

And it was all his fault.  

She had tried to drop him, she thought she had, she climbed through the portal and that was the end of it.  

Or so she thought.  

He landed only a minute after, the panic and fear on his face replaced by anger and confusion as he saw her. He had asked her with tears in his eyes...  

Why?  

Why had she tried to kill him?  

And she had told him.  

He had stood there for a few seconds afterwards and Six thought he would have just curled up and died on the spot at that point.  

But instead, the fury in his face returned and he screamed words at her.  

He hold her how much of a terrible friend she was, how she was so selfish and mean, how he had tried to be the nicest friend ever to her, only to have his friendship spat back at him. He told her with palpable anger in his eyes how much of a monster she was, how what she did was worse than anything any adult could possibly do.  

That had gotten a reaction out of her.  

How dare this... this.... monster, tell her that she was like them?  

She wasn’t, she had told him.  

He simply shook his head and said the same thing, a sad smile on his face. He told her how blind, how stupid he must have been to not see a monster right in front of his eyes.  

She gritted her teeth and told him again, she wasn’t a monster, not like him.  

But he didn’t listen.  

Instead, he repeated the word like the angry child he was.  

Monster.  

Monster!  

MONSTER!   

MONSTER!  

The word kept ringing and ringing until...  

She struck.  

He laid on his back, clutching his cheek that was now red from where she had hit.  

Her hand shook with anger, anger towards this boy, this supposed friend.  

He looked at her with unsure eyes and she thought he would start crying again.  

He didn’t.  

Instead, his eyes became hazy with anger, his face that she had only seen in glimpses, shifting into one of complete and utter fury.  

He stood up from the floor and began approaching, his fists shaking with anger ready to hurt her.  

And she was ready to hurt him right back.  

“No.” she replied, the memories sinking back down. “I haven’t.”    

Mono nodded his head. “Good” His head leered forward at her. 

“I haven't either.” 

She scoffed at him. “I’d be ‘worried’ if you did.” 

Mono scowled at her, wringing his fingers with the sound of his hands cracking accompanying the action. 

“Thats rights, keep insulting me, keep poking me, it’s all you do, isn’t it?” He hissed out. 

Six narrowed her eyes at him before a small smile came to her face. “Better than what you’re doing, leading these kids.” She shook her head. “How many have you hurt? How many of them have died because of-” 

Her words died in her throat as he stood up and launched his hand, aiming for her throat. She was fast however and caught the hand in her grasp, standing up in the process. 

They both eyed each other for a second, neither one moving. 

“You shut the hell up.” Mono warned. “Before you say something stupid and-” 

“And what?” Six interrupted, growing tired of the game of chicken they were playing. “What are you going to do?” 

Mono stared for a few more seconds and Six could see that he was very much debating whether to attack her or not. Eventually, he simply made a sound of anger before ripping his hand from her grasp and glaring at her. 

He desperately wanted her gone, but despite how much he wanted her to go, he couldn’t just kick her out.  

Mono had founded New Dream on the idea that EVERYONE was welcome, it was supposed to be a sanctuary where kids of all ages and skills could come and band together to survive in this harsh world. Together, they could build a fortress, a home where the rain would no longer soak them, a place where they could sleep with no fear of dying in the night. 

A place where they could no longer be alone. 

Nobody knew Six, nobody knew the horrible things she had done, except him. Kicking her out would be seen as a betrayal to the ideas of the village, to the ‘dream’ he had wanted. His words were final of course, but at the end of the day, they were just that. Words.  

He shook his head and gritted his teeth. 

Damn his own morals. 

“3 days...” He muttered out 

Six turned with an agitated ‘hmm?’ 

“3 days” He repeated, growling out the words, whilst holding up the corresponding number of fingers.  “You can stay here for 3 days; get the supplies you need-” He pointed his hand sharply in the direction of the gate. “-And leave.” 

Six tilted her head in suspicion.  Why not just kick her out and be done with it? She was more than ready to leave. 

He sensed her confusion and suspicion. “Unlike you Six I have morals; I don’t just throw people out who may have done a ‘bad thing’ in the past.” 

“Even if I really want to.” 

She narrowed her eyes in understanding, he was claiming the moral high ground was he? 

Six would play his game then. 

“Fine.” She said, agreeing to his terms, even if part of her really didn’t want to. She would rest up, get her supplies, leave this place and never come back. 

Mono nodded his head, though she could tell he wasn’t happy about it either. 

Silence settled in the tent as both of them simply stared at one another, unsure of what to do. 

Eventually, Six sighed under her breath to ask an important question if she was staying here for a few days. “If I’m staying here, where am I sleeping?” 

Mono paused at that before swearing mentally, he’d forgotten about that. 

There wasn’t many empty homes in the village, not anymore at least and he’d be damned if he was giving Six one close to his tent. That left the options small, there was only a couple left and one of them was- 

Beneath his bag, he smiled. 

Oh, how convenient it was that that home of all of them was free, well in his mind it made perfect sense for her to go into that one. 

He turned to Six once more, hiding his amusement. “There’s one free that I know of. I’ll send a guard to escort you there, tell them you have Lez’s house.” 

Six raised her eyebrows. “Escort me?” She asked incredulously. 

Mono gave her a sarcastic look behind his bag. “You think I’m not going to keep an eye on you?” 

She wanted to argue, but decided against it. it was better to simply let get things over with quickly so then she could leave faster. 

So, she merely gave a sound acknowledgement, before turning and walking towards the entrance of the tent to leave. 

Mono however, needed to say one final thing. 

“Six.” He called out, his tone receding back into a more relaxed, but commanding tone.  

She turned her head enough to look back at him. 

“You hurt ANYONE of my people-” He brought his hand up in front of him and clenched it like he was crushing something. “You’re dead” 

Six stared for a few seconds, he thought he could threaten her? 

Well, she’d give him a little threat too, one that hardly any knew. 

She smiled back at him, a small smile that she showed when amused. 

“You think you could kill the Yellow Devil? Dream on.” 

She turned her head back around, catching a glimpse of his wide shocked eyes as she began walking out of the tent. 

“You’re the-” she heard him start, but the rest was drowned out as she left the tent. As soon as she did, the girl from before came rushing past her entering the tent.  

Six shook her head at the girl, how naïve she must be.

Alle entered the tent as soon as the girl had left, she had feared the worst, hearing arguing and shouting between the two, her fear of conflict occurring seeming real. But thankfully nothing like that had happened, Mono seemed... fine. 

It was still jarring however, to hear him shout like that. 

Speaking of... 

Mono seemed shocked at something when she came in, as if something the girl had told him had startled him. He seemed to compose himself, however, when she walked in. 

Still... 

“Are you alright?” She asked, worry apparent in her voice. 

He stared at her for a few seconds, as if debating something. “Yes, I’m... I'm fine.” He seemed unsure, but he didn’t sound hurt or distressed, simply shocked. 

She nodded at that, even if his answer wasn’t so sure sounding. 

Alle still had a question though. 

“Who was she?” She asked, wanting to know the answer. 

Mono looked away from her, his fist clenching slightly as he did.  

“Mono?” She narrowed her eyes at him, what was he trying to hide? He never hid anything from her before. 

Unless.... 

“Was it them?” 

He turned his head enough so that one eye could look at her with a confused look. 

“Was she the one that hurt you, the one who hurt you before you met me?” She questioned again, her voice taking on a slight hint of concern. 

Mono seemed surprised at her for a second, but he turned his gaze away from her and let his silence answer her question.  

The silence lasted only a second. 

“Alle?” He asked, his voice taking on a measured tone. 

She looked up at him, wondering what he wanted. 

“How quickly can you get an order to Ardy?” 

Alle raised an eyebrow at the question but replied regardless. “Depends, how fast do you want him to know?” 

Mono looked at where Allie had come in, a strange look in his eyes as he responded. 

“Before her.”

Six trudged around the outside of the tent, waiting for this supposed ‘escort’ to arrive so she could find where the person who handled supplies was and get what she needed.  

The ‘conversation’ with Mono, if it could be called that, was something that Six had wanted to avoid completely, as it had done nothing but bring back pain and bad memories that Six wished to avoid. 

Well, if you wanted to avoid that, then maybe you shouldn’t have aggravated him so much hmm?  

She shook her head at the shadowy voice. ‘He brought it up first, I merely responded.’ She replied mentally. 

That doesn’t mean you can just insult him like that. The shadow responded, floating in front of her, a shadowy copy of her younger self. You know he was damn well close to attacking us.  

Six thanked that for whatever reason, nobody but her could see the shadow, because otherwise they would understandably panic. 

‘We wouldn't have been in any danger, there was only a slight chance he could of hurt us.’ She informed the shadow calmly. 

The shadow tiled its head in a strange way as it floated by her, True . It spun itself around so that it appeared upside down. But would you have hurt him?  

Six gave no response to that. 

Instead, she returned to waiting. 

Eventually, a guard approached her. 

Not just any guard, a familiar guard. 

Six groaned as the guard approached her, a chipper smile on her face. 

“Heya!” The guard known as Jess greeted, the cheery tone she had already grating Six again. 

Not even Mono all those years back was THIS upbeat. 

The ginger haired girl gave a small wave as she stopped in front of Six and stood at attention, though it was lazily done. “The Boss told me you need to be escorted to where you’re staying, a bit odd if you ask me, but oh well.” She said with a shrug. 

She went to talk again, but Six interrupted her by raising her hand. 

“Before we go where I’m staying, I need to visit whoever deals with the supplies around here.” Six informed the girl. 

Jess’s face became unsure as Six told her what she wanted. “I don’t think I can do that stranger. Boss was awful sure that you needed to get into where you’re staying and I don’t think Ardy would want-” 

The girl stopped talking as Six leaned her hooded face down enough so that the girl could see her vermilion eyes behind her bangs.  

“I need supplies, the faster we get them, the faster both of us can go to bed.” She told the girl, her voice cold. “The longer we take, the more likely I am to start causing a scene, understood?” 

Jess for her part took the threat pretty well, looking away slightly before a small smile came to her face. “Well, you could have just said you wanted to really go, didn’t have to get all up close you know?” 

Six resisted the urge to physically groan at the girl, the amount of cheeriness from her was nauseating. 

The girl turned around with a skip and motioned for Six to follow with an energetic gesture. 

Six just mutely followed her. 

They walked for a few minutes, Jess occasionally asking her questions and Six usually either ignoring her or giving one-word answers. Until she asked one particular question. 

“Do you know the Boss?” 

Six turned her head slightly to look at the girl, the question snapping her out of the trance she had. “Hmm?” 

“Do you know the Boss?” The girl asked, repeating the question. “I mean not everybody gets called on personally to see him, especially not a stranger like you.” She turned around and began walking backwards to continue talking. “So you must know him from before, right? 

Six narrowed her eyes at the girl as she debated telling her anything. Telling her she didn’t would be an obvious lie, telling her that she did would be giving away information. Unfortunately, there wasn’t a great response.  

So, she would give a vague response. “Knew him only a long time ago, been years since I saw him.” 

The girl nodded at that. “So... what did he want you for then?” 

Six resisted the urge to sigh at the girl. “A chat.” 

Jess tilted her head at Six. “Just a chat?” 

Six only nodded and turned her gaze away from the girl. 

They walked in silence again, until the girl stopped in front of the shed from before. 

“Here we are!” She announced a bit too loudly for Six’s taste. She turned to face Six and pointed with a thumb behind her. “Ardy should be inside, though it's quite late so he might be packing up.” 

Six only nodded and walked past the girl, intent on getting what she wanted. 

“Oh and just a heads up-” 

Six turned to face the girl stopping short of the door. 

“Ardy’s kind of nervous person, so don’t be too hard on him, ok?” Jess told her innocently. 

She said nothing, turning back and heading inside.  

The inside of the shed was just as big as Six thought it would be, the ceiling reaching much higher than she could grasp and the entire inside being filled with everything a village could need. Bags and boxes of food were stacked shoulder to shoulder, sacks hung from the ceiling, a draft of something savory coming from them. Shelves were mounted on the walls, some new, some old, but every single one had lines of supplies on them. 

Everything was scattered around the place, creating a maze of wood and produce that Six found difficult to navigate. 

Where was this boy? 

Then, she heard it. 

Talking. 

She could hear it through the shed, a boy's voice talking to someone else. Six homed in on it, years of surviving training her ears for situations like this. Eventually, she rounded a particularly large crate to find what she was looking for. 

A mini-shelter had been built in what appeared to the corner of the shed, slightly resembling that of a store front of a city. It was made from wood and bolted together with nails, the outside of it having a long plank of wood separating the shelter from the rest of the shed, creating a countertop. 

And within that little space between the shelter and the counter a boy stood. 

He was faced away from her, talking to someone in the shelter that Six couldn't see, rambling on about something. She began to approach him, her feet making little sound against the wooden floor. 

Yet somehow, he heard her. 

His head whipped around to face her, revealing more of his black frizzly hair and wide, nervous-looking blue eyes. The boy was younger than Six, but not by much, he was deathly pale, looking like he had never seen the light of day and his stance looked almost hunched over. 

He gave Six a nervous smile as she approached, walking over to the counter and leaning on it. 

“H-hey there stranger.” He greeted, stuttering already. “N-names A-Ardy, what can you- I mean I do for you today?” He asked, a strained smile on his face. 

Six started for a second at the wreck of a boy. 

The girl wasn’t kidding when she said he was a nervous person. 

The stare she gave him caused him to chuckle nervously. “You g-got a name, stranger?” 

She regarded him for a second. “Six.” 

“W-well nice to meet you Six.” He greeted, sticking his hand out for a shake which Six just stared at until he put his hand away awkwardly. 

“N-now, what can I do for y-you?” He asked, folding his hands in front of him and twiddling his thumbs nervously. 

Finally, she could get what she had wanted for the past few hours. “I need a sleeping bag and some medical supplies, enough to last a few days.”  

“Well, I can certainly g-get you a s-sleeping bag, no problem at all.” He then frowned nervously at her. “But the medicine w-will be harder to give you, were running low at the moment. Y-you got something valuable to trade though and I could certain-” 

“I don’t have anything to trade with.” She interrupted him, wanting to get that critical detail out of the way. 

Ardy looked at her with a slight look of disbelief. “N-nothing to trade with? Then I don’t see how you c-can have the-” 

Six leaned herself over the counter to look the trader in the eye, stopping him from talking. “By you just giving them to me.” 

There was a pregnant pause as she lets the words sink in. 

Then, the boy shook his head, a stern look on his face. “I-I don’ think so, stranger, nothing goes for free here.” 

Six blinked at the boy’s response, usually with most people that worked, yet this supposed nervous wreck was the only one to say no to her. 

Her respect for him grew slightly. 

But she didn’t take no for an answer. 

She placed a hand on the boy’s shoulder forcing him to look directly at her. 

“It wasn’t a request.” She stated, her words becoming slightly cold. 

The boy for the most past didn’t cower like most, but he did begin to break into a cold sweat like the others. His eyes bounced around nervously as Six applied a bit more pressure to his shoulder. 

“W-wait, wait.” He said urgently, causing her to stop squeezing. “T-there might be a w-way for you get your supplies and some other benefits a-as well.” 

Six nodded her head at him to continue, which he did after he took a calming breath. 

“I-I’m the supplier for this place, right? I need t-to constantly make sure that we have enough to ensure everything runs s-smoothly.” He explained. 

“One of my j-jobs is making sure we have enough materials to repair the b-buildings and walls around here, so I n-need to send people out to get more materials.” 

She knew where this was going already. 

“O-one of the guys I usually send out was i-injured a few days ago and can’t m-make it. So, I need a fourth m-member.” He told her with a nervous glance. 

Six removed her hand from the boy’s shoulder. “You want me to go in their place?” She asked. 

He nodded his head radically. “Y-yeah, you look pretty capable and strong enough to do it.” He gestured around a bit “A-and as a bonus anything you f-find out there t-that we don’t need you can keep.” 

She narrowed her eyes as she thought about his offer.  

It wouldn’t be the first time she’d done work for others to get what she wanted, that was for sure. The main problem was that she didn’t want to do it because he was here. She wanted to get as far away as possible as soon as she could and sticking around longer wasn’t that. But, at the same time the prospect of gaining more supplies than just what she needed was inviting, it benefited to come prepared after all. 

She looked back at her backpack and shook it again, feeling the lightweight. 

Her urge to sigh was high, but she resisted it. 

Instead, she turned to the boy again. “When is this supply run happening?” 

He gained a small smile on his face at her question. “Tomorrow morning, a-at the crack of dawn, the runs usually take the whole d-day, but they usually get back before nightfall.” 

Six thought about it for a few seconds before bowing her head slightly. “Fine, I'll do it.” 

The boy clapped his hands together with a nervous smile. “Good, good, you won’t r-regret doing this, I promise.” 

She resisted the urge to roll her eyes, she already regretted it. 

Ardy bent down to grab something below the counter and placed it on top of it, revealing it to be a kind of arm band. “You’ll need to wear this to s-show your part of the group, m-meet here when morning comes, ok?” His nervous smile still present. 

Six only nodded, taking the band and placing it in the small pockets of her raincoat. She then turned to leave, hearing a quiet ‘Bye’ reach her ears from the boy. 

She finally reached the door and stepped through it, noticing that the Sun was hanging very low, leaving only an hour or so before night fell.  

She also noticed that Jess was waiting for her, drawing pictures in the dirt with the end of her spear. The girl looked up as soon as she noticed that Six had come back.   

“You got the supplies you wanted then?” she asked cheerfully. 

Six gave a ‘hmph’ to the girl. “In a way.” 

The girl nodded at her. “Good! That means we can get you to where you’re staying, since its getting pretty late now.” The girl then placed a finger under her chin and gained a perplexed look on her face. “Wait, where are you staying? The Boss didn’t tell me, oh I hope I didn’t forget again...” 

Six gave a light scoff at the girl. “He said I was staying at... Lez’s place, was it?” 

The girl’s eye widened at her, as if she said something that wasn’t to be named. “Yikes, we must be low on spare places if we’re giving you that place.” 

Six raised an eyebrow at the girl. “Something wrong with that home?” 

“Well...” Jess started nervously, her eyes darting elsewhere. “Let’s just say Lez is... WAS somebody that wasn’t well liked around here, to put it lightly.” 

Six narrowed her eyes at that statement and turned her head towards where Mono’s tent was. 

Oh, how very clever of him. 

Regardless, she still needed somewhere to stay, even if it was in the home of the village outcast. So, with that in mind, she gestured for the girl to guide her, which she did with a spring in her step. 

They walked to the other side of the village, approaching a bunch of huts and tents and navigating their way through them till they came upon the wall itself and the hut in question that was built against it.  

The hut itself wasn’t too different from the others that littered the village, made from boards of wood and held together with bolts and nails. It was slightly larger than most of the ones Six had seen, seeming capable of holding two people rather than one. 

The major difference was all the defacing on the front of it. 

It had clearly seen insults, crude images and other vulgar things scrapped, painted and drawn onto the front of it. All of them very much directed at this ‘Lez’ many of them either directly calling his name, face or some other part of him. 

Clearly, whoever this boy was, he wasn’t well liked, which left an obvious question. 

“Why is his home still here if he’s clearly despised?” Six asked the girl. 

The girl shrugged “Dunno, nobody does.” She turned her gaze to the hut. “But most think its suppose to serve as a reminder of what happens to traitors.” 

Traitors huh? 

He was being more obvious by the second. 

“Well, it was nice to meet you Six!” Jess stated, giving her a happy smile. “Enjoy your stay!” 

Six gave only a sound of acknowledgement, before the girl waved and walked away. 

Her gaze then settled back onto the hut in front of her, partially wondering what the boy must have done to earn this much ire. But she didn’t linger on the thought and instead walked through the doorway inside. 

The inside wasn’t as bad as she thought it would be considering the state of it outside. The small hut had only two rooms, the one she was currently standing in and another through a doorway to her left that was slightly smaller and had a makeshift window, making it the bedroom of the hut. There wasn’t too much left in the hut either, only a ramshackle table and two chairs in the main room with a lamp and a kind of bedside table in the other room, though no bed was actually present. 

Despite the state of it, it was still better than sleeping in the open wilderness. 

Six made her way over to the other room and finally slung her bag off and threw it into the corner, sitting herself down next to it and pulling her hood down. 

She sighed a breath of exhaustion as she rubbed her temples 

It had been an interesting day. 

It certainly was. Her shadow commented, making its presence known when she didn’t want it. But what are we going to do now?  

‘What we said we’d do.’ She told the apparition. ‘We go on this scavenge run, get what they need, collect some other things, get our supplies, then leave.’ 

Just like that? The shadow asked, swimming closer to her. Are you sure you don’t want to stick around a bit and talk to Mono more, it's been a while after all.  

Six shook her head at the shadow. ‘We’ve both made it clear how we feel about each other, so no.’ 

She reached over to her bag and pulled it open, pulling out her thin blanket and a piece of stale bread that she’d been saving. Before she began to eat, she undid her raincoat and folded it to make a pillow to lay on in the night. She then dug into the bread, finding it to be incredibly chewy, but still edible. 

Once she finished, she unfolded the blanket and laid it over her legs, getting ready to sleep. 

Her shadow spoke up once more. Not worried that he might send someone after you whilst you sleep?  

Six shook her head. ‘No, for two reasons.’ 

‘One, you’ll be keeping watch whilst I sleep-’ 

Again? The shadow asked, annoyed. Why?  

‘Because you don’t need to sleep and you annoy me.’ She said, telling the shadow what she had told it before. 

But it’s so boring. The shadow drawled out, floating away from her with a kick. 

‘I don’t care’ Six replied. 

‘Two, Mono’s not the type of person to stab people in the back, just isn’t who he is and he won't start now.’ She stated. 

Her shadow straightened itself out for once and regarded her with what would be a serious look if it had a face. Unlike you? It commented, a tinge of venom in its voice. 

Six snapped her gaze to the shadow, giving it a glare of malice would force many to cower. The shadow didn’t however, instead it stared straight back, an unknowable look upon its face. The contest lasted a few seconds, before her shadow wordlessly broke contact and floated over to the chair in the other room and ‘sat’ in it. 

Satisfied, Six moved around a bit to lay herself down, pulling the blanket over herself and placing the raincoat under her head. She then took one last look around the hut, making sure nothing was there.  

Then her eyes closed and darkness embraced her.

Edit: This is just a new notes here to include this wonderful piece of fanart of Mono and Six, which should help visualize how they look.

This piece was done by Origuita on Twitter, go check 'em out if you have the time: https://twitter.com/OjitosVerres

Chapter Text

(Credit to @PeixeDoBar for their rendition of Mono and Alle.)

His fist came flying at her, the first aggressive action he had ever taken against her.  

The fist met her hands, directing the blow elsewhere, stopping it from hurting her. But then his other fist came and Six had to quickly raise her hands again to stop it. Then the other first came back again, the blow almost reaching her face.  

Then the other came back again.  

Then again.  

Again.  

And again.  

Eventually, she messed up.  

Her hands weren’t quick enough, the blows overwhelming her and his fist met her face square on. She stumbled backwards, clutching her face that felt pain of a new kind.  

But he wasn’t done.  

Another blow, this one hitting her side as she clutched her face, caused her to gasp and let go of her face. The third blow came, though Six was quick enough to grab the fist and pull her entire body into it, causing the boy to stumble forward.  

Right into her own fist.  

It sent the boy tumbling backwards, a grunt of pain escaping him as he clutched his face, though not as long as she had. In the time it had taken him to recover, she had already ran at him, barging her entire body into his in an effort to knock him to the ground. Her frame met his and the boy stumbled backwards more at the additional weight.  

But she had forgotten a tiny detail.  

He was still bigger than her.  

Not by huge amount, but just enough that he could avoid crashing over.  

Which led to him grabbing her by the shoulders and tossing her aside.  

He was always the stronger one.  

Six took the throw as best she could, rolling side over side until she came to a halt on her belly. She shook her head to rid herself of the daze and looked up to see where her opponent was.  

Only to see his bare foot, careening towards her face  

Six felt herself blink and-  

She woke with a snap of her eyes and audible sigh. 

She hadn’t awoken herself of course, the other side of her had, one of the few benefits the shadow provided was working as an alarm for her, pulling her away from the dream she was having. 

Though it wasn’t really a dream, not in the literal sense. 

It was a memory, a thing from the past that she had dragged up in her sleep. 

But it was still a dream, a dream she hadn’t had for nearly five years now. 

It didn’t take a genius to figure out why they had come back now. 

Another reason to add to the long list of why she didn’t want to be here. 

But languishing on the past wouldn't serve any purpose, so she pushed it to the back of her mind, a thing to be dealt with later. Instead, she raised her head and looked around at the hut.  

The daylight could be seen just peeking through the makeshift window of the hut, a tiny sliver of orange that indicated day was only just breaking. 

Six sighed, time to get to work she supposed. 

She stood with an audible crack in her knee and straightened her stiff back out, the hut was certainly warmer and drier than the outdoors but the floor left much to be desired, compared to the natural foliage of the forests. The hut was still in the same condition as when she was awake, minus the shadow that had been keeping watch in the chair. 

Six reached down and unfolded her raincoat, observing all the stich lines and pieces of fabric she had sewn on over the years, trying her best to keep it in one piece, trying to keep the one memory of her alive.  

So you’ll lament over her death, but not over what you did to him?  

Six snapped her gaze to the shadow, finding it to be leaning on the doorframe of the room, staring at Six with a tilted head. 

‘That’s because this is different’ Six responded, pulling the raincoat back on and flipping the hood back over her head. 

If the shadow had eyes to roll it would have certainly done so. Sure it is.  

Six ignored it, instead picking up her bag and making her way out of the hut and through the numerous other tents and huts.  

The village was barley active and lit as Six wandered her way over to the massive shed, barely any of the residents wandered the grounds and those that did seemed to be guards on watch. She watched as some of them exchanged words, most of them armed with makeshift lanterns in their hands that they turned off as day broke. 

She continued walking until the shed was much closer, seeing that the boy, Ardy, was already present at the door, seemingly as awake as he was when she met him. 

He was also occupied by three other figures, that as Six got closer made her notice something peculiar about them. 

They were all wearing the same thing. 

They all wore brown waistcoats of shoddy quality that were worn over green fabric shirts that created a nice, if slightly grubby appearance. Worn alongside them were brown pants that looked almost brand new, though they were littered with stains of varying colours. They also each wore a hat, a flat cap green in colouration that sat above their heads. 

If it weren’t for their height differences, it would have been difficult to separate them. 

Each one stood at a different height, one of them stood just as tall as Six, though much wider and seemingly stronger, whilst another reached just below her nose and the last was a head smaller than her. As Six got closer and Ardy waved to her in a nervous greeting she could start to make out their faces. 

The tall one had dull grey eyes that spoke of incredible patience, his hair was nowhere to be seen under his hat and his face was sat in a passive, thoughtful look as if he wasn’t all there.  

The middle one bore green eyes that seemed full of life and enjoyment, his lips were parted upwards in a small smile, despite nothing going on and his hair was black and long, coming down to below his chin. 

The smallest one was a grumpy looking child, his orange eyes looked annoyed at nothing and tiny strands of auburn hair could be seen sticking out under the hat. 

Six ignored them and instead approached Ardy. 

“G-good morning, S-six.” He greeted. “Did you s-sleep alright?” 

She merely gave a sound of acknowledgment to the boy before turning her gaze to the other boys present. “I take it they're the ones I’ll be working with for this... scavenge run.”  

Ardy nodded at her. “Yes, y-you'll be assisting them t-today.” He walked over in front of them and motioned to them. “L-let me introduce you...” 

He pointed to the tallest one. “T-this is Stub, he’s the biggest of the three.”  

The boy turned to look casually at Six, before giving her a nod of acknowledgment. 

He pointed at the smiling boy. “He’s Renny, a-a cherry lad he is.” 

Renny gave Six a smile that showed off his missing and broken teeth. 

She didn’t return it. 

Them he finally reached the smallest one. “A-and this ones Netty, he’s been doing this for o-only a few months now.” 

The boy in question turned to give Ardy an annoyed gaze before turning to Six and giving her a once over before tilting his head up in begrudging acknowledgement. 

Ardy then turned to regard Six again. “You’ll be l-leaving in a few minutes, m-make sure you’re wearing your band and- oh" He interrupted himself suddenly with an embarrassed expression. “I a-almost forgot something, give me a second.” He turned back and walked through the crevice of the door, leaving Six with the three boys. 

She turned to regard them all, noticing that they were all staring at her. Her eyes narrowed in a glare at them. “Something wrong?” She asked, slightly on edge. 

The middle one, Renny she remembered, approached her with a smile . “So, you’re tagging along with us today?” 

Six nodded at him, keeping her gaze on him.  

The largest one, Stub, regarded her for a second. “She looks strong enough.” He simply said, his voice coming out calm and bored. 

The smallest one shook his head. “I don’t like it, why do we need her, we’d be fine with just us three.” 

Renny turned to Netty with a slight frown. “Don’t start being upset with her, she’s just looking for supplies for herself.” He turned to Six with a friendly smile. “Ain’t that right?” 

Six again nodded at the boy. “I take it he already told you about me.” 

The boy nodded. “He did, was wondering if he was gonna get a fourth, seemed he did.” 

He leaned towards Six so his words could only be heard by her. “Don’t worry about Netty, he just doesn’t like new people.”  

Six said nothing, if the boy had a problem with her she’d deal with it herself. 

She then heard footsteps behind her, causing her to turn around to see Ardy back with four small sacks in his hands.  

“Almost f-forgot to give you these.” He said with a nervous chuckle. “That wouldn't have been g-good.” 

He then handed Six one of the bags before walking past her to hand a sack to each of the boys. Confused, Six opened the sack to see small parts of food in the sack, mostly cheese and dried meat by the looks of it. She turned to look at Ardy who just gave the last sack to Stub and noticed her confused expression.  

“C-can't expect you to work on an empty s-stomach now, can I?” He simply stated, walking past Six.  

Six merely kept her confused look, she hadn’t even done anything and she was being given things already? 

It sounded too good to be true, too suspicious, she would test the food later, she would know if it had been poisoned. 

Regardless, she nodded her head at the boy and opened her backpack to keep it stored. Ardy then clapped his hands together and smiled. “Right t-then, time for you to go off.” He turned to look at Stub. “Get the w-wagon, would you please?” 

The boy simply nodded and walked around the corner of the shed to get something. A few seconds later, he appeared once more, hauling a noticeably rusted red wagon that groaned slightly as the boy pulled it by the handle. The wagon looked slightly bigger than those she had seen before and had pouches and shelves strapped to the sides of it, increasing how much it could carry. 

She then felt a tap on her shoulder and turned to see Ardy pointing at his arm then at the boys. Six turned to look, seeing that they were all wearing bands. Six nodded and fished the band out of her pocket, noticing it was bright green in colouration as she hooked it over her arm. 

Ardy nodded. “O-off you go then, best of l-luck.” He said with a small wave. 

Six turned and followed the wagon as it was dragged to the gate by Stub, falling in line with the back wheels as the other two walked near the front of it. They eventually reached the gate and stopped in front of it and Stub shouted up to the guards on the wall to open the gate. 

The guards came down from their perches and undid the numerous locks and bolts that sealed it and with a creak, the gate was pulled open. Stub merely nodded and thanked them before setting off again, Six following once more. They then finally exited the village and Six heard the gate creak and groan behind her before it banged shut and was sealed again.  

She started to follow the wagon once more, but slowed slightly as she felt something, like she was being watched. 

Her head twirled back to the wall to see if anyone was watching her, but the guards hadn’t climbed back up yet and nothing stared back from the trees. 

She pulled a face and ignored the feeling, perhaps she was just feeling more paranoid because of her situation. 

With her suspicions eased slightly, she walked slightly faster to catch up to the wagon.

Alle watched from the treetops as the girl known as Six set off with the scavenger team to hunt for materials, hopefully they would get what they needed and return in one piece. 

Though with the Yellow Devil among them, it was difficult to say if they would or wouldn’t. 

It had been Mono who had told her that the girl was the Yellow Devil, something which Alle had called bullshit on, how could this random raincoat wearing girl be the Yellow Devil? 

She nearly missed the jump from the tree back to the wall in her thoughts, but landed regardless. 

But he had stated that he heard it straight from her mouth and that she was the perfect person to be them. 

The Yellow Devil was a tale spread from kid to kid that had emerged over the past couple of years, usually told as a story around campfires. It was the tale of a wandering figure clad in yellow, who wandered from place to place like a shadow. It was said that they travelled to consume the souls of the powerful, that they appeared in the night with no warning and in the morning, nothing would be left. 

Some kids had said to have met the figure, claiming that they spoke with words of pain and an aura of dread and death that left them running for their lives. It was said whatever village they visited would be free of monsters, but would always suffer some greater consequence after. 

Of course, most of this was just the overactive imagination of children, imagining monsters that didn’t exist.  

But all tales had roots in reality and Mono believed the girl was them. 

Alle herself didn’t know for sure that was true, but Mono was absolutely certain she was and Alle knew from experience that he was rarely wrong. 

That didn’t mean he had to be so stressed about it. 

She sighed as she made her way across the village to his tent. 

He had been pacing nonstop ever since the girl had come to village, constantly thinking to himself in an almost paranoid fashion that was frankly off putting to her. She remembered when he gave her the order yesterday to force Six to accompany Ardy’s scavenging team, she hadn’t questioned it when he gave it her, instead simply running off to get the order there before Six. But she remembered the look in his eyes, a look of resentment and vengeance that she had never seen. 

Now however, she did have questions. 

She parted the curtains of his tent to find him stood, hunched over his desk looking at a map, clearly engrossed with it, though he looked up from it once she walked in. 

“Alle.” He greeted, his voice slightly soft. “Did anything happen? Did she do anything?” 

Alle merely shook her head. “Besides being slightly rude to the brothers and nearly spotting me, nothing happened.” She approached with a concerned and frustrated look. “I don’t know why you’re so concerned about her.” 

Mono simply shook his head. “You don’t know her like I do, she’s dangerou-” 

“I don’t know anything about her, full stop.” Alle interrupted, approaching him with an annoyed expression. “You haven’t told me a thing about her since she walked in and yet you’re obsessed over her.” 

He looked away from her, clearly not comfortable with what she was saying. She sighed and placed her hand on his bag and moved his head to look at her. 

“Please Mono, tell me what’s bothering you, is she the one?” She asked softly, a tone of voice she rarely used. 

Mono said nothing for a second before letting out an annoyed grunt. “Yes.” He said, clearly agitated. “She’s the one who hurt me.” 

Good, that answered one of her questions. 

But it still left her with another few. 

“Why make it so she had to go on the scavenger team then?” She asked, confused at what his plan was. “Why not just give her the supplies and get rid of her?” 

He said nothing for a few seconds, as if considering his words.  

“I want to see what she does when placed in that situation.” He stated, his voice levelled, but the anger still lay underneath. “Whether she’ll threaten the crew or steal anything from them.” 

Alle regarded him for a second as she realized what he was doing. “You want to see if she’s still the same person, don’t you?” 

Mono said nothing, instead choosing to nod and return his gaze to the map behind him. 

Yes, that was one of the reasons. He wanted to see if Six, his betrayer, was still the same heartless monster who had tried to kill him all those years ago. Of course, in his heart he knew that it was still true, she still regarded him with hatred that she had failed in killing him and wanted to be as far away from him as possible. 

But there was another reason, a reason that he kept locked away deep in the back of his mind, a reason that only he would know. 

He wanted an excuse. 

An excuse for what? Who knows, he just wants one. 

“Thats dangerous Mono.” Alle commented, a frown coming to her face. “You don’t know what she’ll do.” 

He looked back at her, a look of regret in his eyes. “I know.” He spoke softly, his words displaying what he felt. Then, his eyes shifted back into an unreadable look of contained anger as he turned back round. 

“But I need to know.”

Six wondered how far away this place was. 

They had been walking for what must have been nearly two hours now, their feet keeping a rhythmic pattern that had nearly bored its way into her skull. 

They hadn’t talked much on the journey so far, mostly random questions that Six barely gave thought to as they usually kept to talking to each other, which she appreciated. 

But now, she needed to talk to them, the lack of a known destination was not sitting well with her. 

She made her round the other side of the wagon, where Renny was walking alongside the front left wheel, humming a tune to himself. She walked to his left side, causing him to stop humming and lift an eyebrow at her. 

“Somethin’ wrong?” He asked. 

“Where exactly are we going and how much longer is going to take?” Six questioned, slightly on edge. “We’ve been walking for a while now and yet I’ve seen several spots that you could have gone to.” 

The boy merely shook his head. “We’ve already gone through those spots before, picked ‘em clean of everything useful, we have to keep going farther to collect what we need nowadays.” 

He turned his gaze to the front and gestured in the direction of the path. “The place we’re heading to is only a few minutes out now. It’s a small cabin with a big hole next to it.” 

“We’ve been only a couple of times now, but were pretty sure no ones home.” 

Six nodded at the boy, some of her questions were answered at least. 

They lapsed into silence and Six was preparing to move back over to the other side when the boy started talking again. 

“Say... Six, was it?” He started, which made her look at the boy. 

“What exactly brought you out here? Not many decide to travel up near the Pale city, especially in the fall.” He asked, fishing out what appeared to be a small piece of candy and throwing it into his mouth. 

Six resisted the urge to sigh, everyone here was asking her that question it seemed. “Travelling, only passing through the area to get to the Western side, only stopped here to get supplies.” 

Renny nodded his head, still chewing the candy. “Travelling to the West side huh? Not many folks do that, heard it's pretty rough over there.” He commented. 

Pretty rough? Six would chuckle at that if she wasn’t so on edge. 

She knew what ‘rough’ was, it was doubtful that anything there would match what she had seen. 

“I have a question for ya.” A new voice asked, startling Six and causing her to look up. 

Netty, the smallest boy, stood atop the wagon peering down at the both of them, his tangerine eyes filled with a suspicious glare. 

“Where exactly did you get that raincoat?” He asked, pointing at the garb in question. 

Six felt her eyes shape themselves into a glare, whilst Renny’s filled with confusion. “Why you asking her that?” He inquired. 

“Because look at it.” The boy stated, giving the knife hand to Six. “That coat is clearly made for someone nearly half her size and yet she’s still wearing it, heck she’s sewn new bits on to it.” 

The boy’s comments were not wrong, Six knew that, but that didn’t mean she appreciated them, which she showed by pulling her mouth back in a frown. Renny very much noticed this and turned to the younger one.  

“Lay off her Netty, I don’t think she wants to talk about it.” He warned, his voice becoming more stern. 

Netty however, simply shook his head. “No, I want to know Renny, you don’t just carry around something like that for no reason.” He turned his gaze back to Six with an accusatory look. “Did it belong to someone? Did you steal it from someone whilst they slept? Did you kill-” 

“Netty.” A voice interrupted, a calm but commanding tone behind it that was louder than the rest.  

They all turned to the boy who said it, Stub, who was still pulling the wagon and not looking at them, but Six could tell his face was one of disapproval. 

“Stop asking.” He told Netty sternly, his voice leaving no room for argument. 

The boy in question started at Stub before making a disgruntled sound and disappearing back to his side of the wagon. 

There was a moment of silence before Renny turned to Six with a regretful look on his face. 

“Sorry about Netty.” He apologized, shaking his head and turning it forward. “He’s been suspicious of new people ever since Lez tricked him.” 

Six didn’t respond to the apology, instead trying to calm herself down from the boy’s accusations. But Renny’s reasons for his behavior did bring a question to her mind.  

“Who exactly is this ‘Lez’?” Six asked. “I keep hearing his name and that he did something, but not exactly what he did.” 

Renny seemingly flinched, as though what Six had asked brought back painful memories. “Travellers usually don’t learn about Lez when they stay here, how come you know?” He asked back with a raised eyebrow. 

“I’m staying in his hut.” Was Six’s deadpan response. 

The boy's eyebrows ventured off into his hairline when Six told him that. “You're staying in his hut? We must have fewer empty homes than I thought.” 

Six resisted the urge to tell the boy the actual reason she was in that hut, or at least the suspected reason. “You going to tell me then?” 

Renny seemed to frown for a moment, as if deciding whether to tell her or not. Finally, he sighed. “Well... I guess I should if you're staying in his place.” 

He gained a contemplative look on his face as he began to talk. “Lez was a kid, ‘bout the same age as the Boss who came in I think three years ago now.”  

“He appeared a nice enough kid on the surface like the rest of us, bit rude sometimes and had weird white hair, but he helped out quite a bit.” He explained. 

Renny then pointed to his eye as he continued talking. “He also had a weird silver eye, said it didn’t work, but most folk swore that he could still see out of it.” 

“He stayed in the village for quite some time, built up a lot of trust and friends, including the Boss, who liked the way he worked.”  

Six raised an eyebrow. “The way he worked?” 

Renny nodded. “If I remember correctly, he had a nice efficient way of getting things done, had a lot of experience under his belt.” He then shook his head. “At the time he never said where he got it from, we only learned later where.” 

“Eventually, he proves himself enough that he becomes the Boss’s left hand, gets real close to him and starts to handle a lot of the tasks and responsibilities that need doing.” 

Six said nothing, but she could already tell where this was going. 

The boy then rubbed his eyes slightly, as if tired. “He then starts stockpiling a load of stuff, says it for in case of emergencies, if something happened to the village.” 

“Then, couple of months after his ‘promotion’ he reveals his real hand.” He explained, opening his hand for emphasis. 

“Turns out Lez was part of a smaller group of bandits that wanted to take over New Dream, make it their own since they didn’t agree with how the Boss ran things.” 

Renny then clenched his fists, a look of anger on his face that looked unnatural for him. “It also turns out that he was convincing other kids onto his side in the village, making ‘em see his way.” He then turned to the wagon, looking at the other side. “Including Netty.” 

Six raised an eyebrow at that. “How old was he back then?” 

He sighed. “Only seven, too young to understand the full weight of what he was doing.” 

“So, Lez launches his takeover, comes out with a whole bunch of other kids, all armed from what he had stockpiled and looking to overthrow the Boss and Lez challenges him to a fight for ownership.” 

Six nodded at him. “And how did that go?” 

Renny let out a small sound of amusement. “How did it go? It never happened.”  

She tiled her head slightly at his response. 

He noticed her confusion and smiled. “Turns out the Boss wasn’t blind to what Lez was doing and was already expecting him to betray them. Something which surprised a lot of people, given how trusting the Boss is.” 

Geez, I wonder where he got the experience to expect that from? Her Shadow commented sassily. 

The shadow was promptly ignored and Six continued to listen. 

“So, the Boss it turns out had already gathered a load of people and hidden them around and launched a counterattack when Lez attempted to takeover.” He explained. 

“This included Lez’s attempt to challenge the Boss, had to deal with his bodyguard instead.” 

“Bodyguard?” Six asked. 

  He nodded. “Yeah, Alle, she's a girl with a lot of skill, never leaves the Boss’s side, you might have seen her.” 

Six digested the information, so that’s who the girl was. 

The boy then continued, but with a frown. “But... despite the initiative the Boss had, a lot of fighting still broke out, buncha of folk got injured and two on each side got killed.” 

“Lez and those that allied with him were all captured and you can imagine that a lot of people weren’t happy with that they had done.” 

“What happened to them?” Six asked, expecting an obvious answer. 

“Well, a lot of folks including myself were wanting them to be offed.” He said, drawing a line across his throat. “But the Boss was a lot more merciful than us.” 

She raised an eyebrow at the unexpected answer. 

“He sent them packing with nothing but the clothes on their backs, exiled ‘em.” He explained, pointing a thumb to his right as he did. “Told ‘em if they ever came back, he wouldn’t be so kind.” 

Six nodded her head to the boy on the other side of the wagon. “And him?” 

Renny turned his head for a second to look at Netty before sighing. “Me and Stub had to fight tooth and nail with the Boss to convince him that Netty didn’t know what he was doing.” 

He then shook his head. “Thats why he’s so suspicious of new people, he trusted one new person and he made a horrible mistake. He still blames himself, will do for a while I reckon.” He finished, looking forward with a sad look in his eyes. 

Six said nothing, instead replaying what she heard in her head to make sure she heard it correctly. Mono got betrayed by someone else, yet he still decided to let them go? Granted, he did suspect that Lez was going to, but when did he start to? The first time he met him? When they started becoming friends? When Lez started to stockpile? 

They must have been genuine friends at some point, yet after the betrayal he still had the mercy to let them go? 

Maybe that’s because he’s a nice person. Her shadow commented once more. A person you decided was the evilest monster you ever met.  

The shadow was ignored by Six once more, it always thought it knew best, when in reality it rarely did. 

Silence returned to the group as they continued walking and Six fell behind Renny and stood next to the left back wheel. Another 30 minutes past and the wagon slowed to a stop. 

“We’re here.” Announced Stub, dropping the handle temporarily. 

Six made her way around the wagon, following Renny as he did so too. Then once she did, she took note of the cabin before her. 

The cabin was still some distance away, a dirt path leading towards it with a wooden fence that was once painted white guarding it. The cabin itself didn’t look too different from the Hunter’s, though Six noted that this one was substantially more run down than that one. The outside of it also lacked the porch of the Hunter’s, instead a simple wooden staircase led up to the front door. 

There was also the hole that Renny told her about. 

Though it was a lot bigger than she had expected.  

It was behind the cabin a good few meters and most of it was blocked by the cabin itself. Yet Six could tell that it was massive in scale, its circumference being larger than the cabin itself, yet no earth could be seen around it, which suggested it may have been a sinkhole. 

Still, they were here now. 

Six turned to Renny. “What exactly are we looking for?” 

He turned to her with a raised hand. “We’re looking for metal mostly, running out it seems and we need more to make weapons and fasten up some of the homes.” 

She nodded in understanding. “Anything particular?” 

“Look for thin bits of metal rather than the thick stuff.” He replied. “The thicker it is, the harder it is to work with and also look out for any screws or nuts.” 

Her response was to nod again and Renny signaled Stub to move the wagon again. 

They moved again until they reached the left wall of the cabin, where the wagon was dumped and the trio of scavengers left their food. Six held onto hers however, she wasn’t letting any of her possessions out of her sight 

“Alright.” Renny announced, getting the other three's attention. “We’ll split into two groups and scavenge into different areas like we always do.” 

Six felt herself internally groan at that; she would have to spend more time around these kids? 

He then pointed at Netty and Stub. “You two, stick together and check the garden again. We found a lot of good stuff last time and I bet there's still some scrap left.” 

The boy then turned to her. “Me and you will check inside the cabin, see if we can’t scrounge up some pots that got left behind.” He said with a smile. 

Six herself felt burdened that she would have to stick together with somebody, but at least it was someone who knew to respect her privacy. 

“Sure you’ll be ok with her?” Asked the redhead, still clearly unhappy with her. 

Renny rolled his eyes at him. “I’ll be fine Netty.” He said, walking over to the smaller boy and patting his shoulder. “I promise.” 

Netty merely started for a second before releasing an annoyed huff and turning to walk to the garden behind the cabin, Stub following after him whilst waving at them. 

Renny merely gave a simple wave back before turning to Six. “Shall we?” 

She nodded. 

Time to work.

The door squeaked open with an audible rusted sound that spoke of age and neglect and Six was thankful that the boy had said nobody was home. 

She walked in after the boy opened it and took in the front room before her. Unlike the Hunter’s cabin the front room was a simple storage space filled with boxes, rather than the area used for hanging coats and shoes. They walked past them into a hallway, where she followed him into a rundown, but still slightly useable kitchen.  

Also unlike the Hunter’s, the kitchen here was free from food spread across the countertops and was nearly spotless, though a lot of dust had set into the surfaces. 

He motioned to Six to look around, to gather what they needed. 

She nodded and began to do so. 

The cupboards were searched first, the ones on floor level usually had the metal kitchenware that they were looking for. Opening up the first one, Six was greeted to the sight of glassware, mostly drinking glasses and a few antique looking bowls. She closed it without looking twice, not what she was looking for. She then moved across to the left to the next one, taking note of the cupboard Renny was opening on the other side of the kitchen, as he tossed a bar of soap behind him.  

Six reached the next cupboard and pulled it open, revealing a space filled with nothing but canned food of various types. She felt part of herself salivate at the thought of food but reminded herself that there was nothing to get excited over. The cans WERE metal, but she wondered if they needed them. She turned to the boy behind her and let something loose from her lips that she hadn’t in a long time. 

“Psst, Hey.” 

The boy turned to look at Six with an expectant face, as she held one of the cans in her arms to show him.  

He nodded at her. “They’re good, we can keep them for food and use them when they’re empty.” 

She nodded back and placed the can to one side as she started to fish out the other ones. In total there were eleven cans in the cupboard that Six moved to the entrance way of the kitchen to be moved later. She then heard footsteps behind her as she turned to see Renny point a thumb behind him. 

“The rest of ‘em just contain cleaning stuff and plates.” He then pointed to the cupboards mounted on the wall above the countertops. “We haven’t checked those ones yet. Think you can boost me up?” 

Six felt herself stiffen at those words but shook herself out of it.  

That was seven years ago now...

And he wasn’t him. 

She walked over to the bottom of the countertop and laced her hands together, motioning for him to come. He did and placed his foot into her hands and she lifted him up with a sudden burst. He grunted as he reached the countertop and flashed a thumbs-up before beginning to move things around so he could access the cupboards. 

Six meanwhile, started to check the cupboards the boy already checked, wanting to see if there was anything she could have. She went to the one under the sink that he had already checked and rummaged around, finding a bar of soap like the one he had thrown out. Six would be lying if she said she didn’t like to be at least semi-clean and a good bar could last a couple of months if used sparingly. 

Silently, she opened her bag and shoved the soap inside, feeling the weight of it settle inside.

She then turned to another cupboard he had gone through, opening it to find a bunch of slightly worn-looking towels that had seen better days. Those could come in handy for both drying and bandaging herself. She grasped one in her hands and began to tear into it to make it smaller as she hardly needed a full one. She then heard a god-awful bang that made her jump and turned towards it, ready to flee or fight. 

As it turned out however, it was simply a cooking pot that Renny had thrown to the floor from one of the cupboards. He noticed her defensive posture and smiled sheepishly and mouthed an apology. Six shook her head in annoyance at him, idiot. 

Six then turned her head away from him to return to the towel from before, but noticed something as she did. 

The fringe door was slightly ajar. 

She tiled her cautiously at it, why was it opened? Did they already check through it before? That made little sense considering that the boy was checking every cupboard, which meant this must have been his first time checking here.  

Curiosity getting the better of her, Six moved herself across the floor as the boy kept rummaging through the cupboards. She approached the fridge and grabbed the edges with her scarred hands, pulling it open and immediately noticing two things. 

One, the fridge was still powered. 

Two, there was meat in the fridge. 

Fresh meat...

Six felt her eyes widen as alarm bells started to go off in her head at what she saw. She turned to the cupboard the boy was in about to call out to him. 

Then, she heard it. 

Both of them did. 

The sound of the front door being shoved open by something much bigger than them. 

Renny stuck his head out from his cupboard in alarm, seeing Six with wide eyes as she sprinted towards the open cupboard filled with cleaning supplies. He quickly followed her, jumping down and crawling into the cupboard, shutting the door behind him enough so they could still peek out.  

They heard the sound of footsteps approaching the kitchen, followed by the sound of cans being tripped over and scattered, as whoever entered found Six’s pile of cans. 

The sound of a twisted and surprised grunt was heard, as the owner of the footsteps came into view, though they could only see their bottom half.  

A pair of what appeared to be brown boots came into view, thick and made of leather along with blue slacks that looked old and faded and Six could just make out the bottom of what appeared to be a thick brown coat lined with fur. 

The figure moved through the kitchen, seemingly now on guard from the cans it had knocked over. It passed by their cupboard and Renny shut the door slightly more to prevent them being seen. The figure then moved by the cupboards opposite them where Six had been and seemingly noticed that they were open. They then let out a disgruntled growl, realizing that there must be intruders in their home before stomping off out the kitchen. 

Only when the footsteps sounded far enough away that they couldn’t be heard did Six roughly grab the boy’s shoulder and force him to look at her. Her stare was one that conveyed great anger and annoyance, telling him exactly what she was thinking. 

‘I thought you said this place was empty’ Was the message that she was conveying. 

The boy looked both shocked and apologetic as he shrugged and moved his eyes to the cupboard door, he thought so too apparently. Six let go of him and sighed, the group must have come at times when the adult was not in and now for whatever reason they were. 

Renny tapped her shoulder, getting her attention. “We need to find the others and leave.” He said, speaking in a hushed whisper.  

Six nodded, agreeing with the leaving part. 

With her agreeing, Renny turned and slowly pushed the door open, peering around to see if the adult was present. Seeing nothing and not hearing any noises, he opened the door more and slowly crept out, Six slowly following behind him. They walked to the edge of the doorframe of the kitchen and peered around it, seeing nothing. 

Satisfied that nothing was coming, they both walked down the hallway back to the front door, seeing that it was closed. Six quickly took position below it, indicating for him to be boosted again. He complied, once more being thrown up and gripping the door handle. 

Except, it didn’t budge. 

It was locked. 

Six felt herself roll her eyes, of course it was locked. 

The boy dropped down and Six regarded him for a moment. “Now what do we do?” She asked, both quietly and slightly annoyed. 

Renny gained a thoughtful look on his face as formulated a plan. 

“There's a vent in the living room that goes under the cabin, I think.” He said, a slight amount of uncertainty in his voice. “If we can get to that, we can get out without it noticing us, hopefully.” 

Six stared at him for a second with doubt in her eyes. “You think it goes under the cabin?” She questioned. “Can’t think of any other way to get out?” 

Renny looked into the hallway for a second before sighing. “There's a backdoor, but it’s probably locked as well now and even if we did get it open we’d be heard and have to run.” 

He then pointed to the hallway in the direction of the living room. “If we go through the vent’s we’ll be much safer, even if we make a buncha’ noise.” 

She thought about what he just said and realized what he was saying was true, though that didn’t mean she liked it. With a slight amount of regret and annoyance, Six nodded and the boy led the way once more. They creeped out of the entrance way and made their way to a slightly opened door that the boy forced open slowly and crept inside, Six quickly following. 

The living room was much more organized than the Hunter’s, a couple of nice-looking leather chairs were facing the wall farthest away from them, pictures hung on the wall that Six could barely make out and a few taxidermy animals hung from them as well. The floor itself also had some kind of bear skin rug atop it and a window was on the wall where the chairs faced. The window was also stationed above something that Six loathed to see. 

A TV. 

It wasn’t on of course, but she still felt on edge just being in the same room as one. They brought back memories of the horrible noise they put out, the hypnotizing broadcast that dragged you in and never let go, like it did to Mon- 

She shook her head, that wasn’t necessary right now. 

Instead, she continued following the boy, leading her to the wall behind one of the chairs and indicating for her to help push the massive chair. Six fell in line at the side of him and began to push, slowly moving the chair, inch by inch, the sound of wood scraping against wood being made. Finally, he stopped pushing and Six could indeed see that the chair had been blocking a vent. 

Except the vent had a covering on it that would have to be pulled off. 

Six went to go assess the covering but stopped as she saw a picture on the wall that caught her attention. She narrowed her eyes and stepped back a bit to get a better look at it. Once she did, her eyes widened slightly as she recognized just who was in the picture. 

It was the Hunter. 

He wore the exact same clothing as she remembered, the sack over his head included, though he seemed to be missing the stitching over his right shoulder. The picture depicted him slinging his left arm over the shoulders of the figure from before, the figure also doing the same thing to the Hunter which also gave Six a better view of them. 

The figure was wearing what Six could make out before, the same coat and boots that matched in colour and the blue slacks that contrasted with them. The figure also appeared to wear black gloves over their hands and most alarming was what they wore over their face. 

A skull. 

A deer skull to be exact. 

It was much bigger than any deer Six had seen, fitting over his head perfectly and giving him a terrifying visage. The skull lacked the massive horns typical of what was expected, instead only very shortened antlers were seen atop them. 

Six felt herself question who this deer-faced adult was. Were they related to the Hunter? Were they just a friend of some kind? Or just Hunters in arms? 

She shook her head, it didn’t matter. 

Instead, she watched as Renny motioned to vent covering. “You start tearing it off, I’ll keep watch.” He whispered to her. 

Six felt like arguing, why was she doing all the hard work? But then again, she was probably stronger than him. She stepped around him as he leaned around the chair they had pushed to keep watch, as she gripped the covering and began to pull. The metal groaned slightly as it was forced to move, bending to the direction she was pulling. It was taking a long time however, as it seemed to be in better condition than usual vents.  

She continued to pull, the metal groaning even more, becoming louder as she pulled with more strength. That’s when they heard it, the sound of footsteps above them stopping suddenly as the owner of the cabin listened. Six made to stop, but it was already too late. 

The footsteps began again, this time at a quicker pace as they rushed to get downstairs. 

Six began pulling the covering with strength born of stress, the metal giving way even more, but still refusing to break. 

Renny turned to her with an urgent look in his eyes. “Hurry!” He urgently whispered, as the footsteps began descending down the stairs. 

She resisted the urge to snap at him, instead turning to the vent and realizing that she couldn’t undo it in time. 

The urge to snort at that thought was resisted, like hell she was going to die like this. 

So, with a mental command and making sure the boy’s back was turned, Six reached within herself to the shadowy thing insider her. Tendrils of what appeared to be living shadow emerged from beneath her raincoat's arms, gripping the vent with unnatural strength. 

Then, she pulled again. 

The metal groaned again even louder with the added strength, the sound of it nearly drowning out the footsteps of the owner who was just about to enter the room. 

Finally, the vent covering gave and Six found herself being flung to the ground as the covering went flying over her head. Just in time for it to go flying past the owner of the cabin, who’s skull covered head followed the covering in confusion. Renny acted as the adult was distracted, grabbing Six’s hand and pulling her towards the now open vent. The adult turned their head quickly, locking onto Six and Renny.  

There was a fair bit of distance between them and the adult, Six realized this and relaxed slightly as they reached the vent realizing he wouldn’t be able to reach- 

But then, it did something unexcepted. 

He launched himself. 

With a burst of speed that was unnatural for an adult of his size, he jumped towards them, gloved hand spread wide to capture her. 

Six’s eyes widened, as she was still in the process of climbing in after Renny. 

The hand stretched towards her, its size not dwarfing her, but still enough to crush her. 

It was going to catch her, just like him all those years ago. 

Six blinked and then something grabbed her... 

And pulled. 

Chapter Text

(Credit to AngoDrag0n for their drawing of the adult in this chapter.)
 

(Credit to MalakiTortilla for their design of the adult in this chapter as well.)

Six felt herself being pulled backwards further into the vent as Renny tugged her along with an incredible show of strength born of panic and fear. The adult's hand barely scrapped against her legs, reaching into the vent as far as it could, clawing at the metal interior. Once it realized its prey was out of reach, the adult slammed its hand angrily onto the vent floor before dragging it out, the sound of footsteps changing as it attempted to look into the vent. 

But they were already gone, having jumped down the vent as it led below ground. 

Six sat on her hands and knees, her larger size forcing her to do so, as she calmed her heart to what had happened. She had grown too cocky, thinking that the adult wouldn’t be able to reach her, when in reality she should have expected the adult to have some unnatural quality to it. 

They always did around here. 

She felt herself stop as the boy crouched in front of her did the same and turned to face her, his face in similar state fear, but also one that had concern in it.  

“You alright?” He asked, gesturing to her to indicate if she was injured. 

Six shook her head. “I’m fine.” This wasn’t the first time she had escaped death by the skin of her teeth, though usually she hadn’t required another to save her. As much as she didn’t want to admit it, he had saved her from what might have been a painful encounter, so she turned her head to him and bowed it in thanks and muttered under her breath a quiet ‘Thank you.’ 

The boy merely flashed her a smile and a thumbs up to indicate he accepted her thanks before turning to lead the way through the maze of metal. She followed once more, as another figure followed her. 

Yeah, I have a question for you about what just happened. Her shadow commented, its head peaking in the peripheral of her vision. Why didn’t you just.... you know? Suck the guy's soul out and be done with it?  

She sighed mentally. ‘You know why.’ She replied tiredly, for indeed the shadow did know why and it was because of a certain individual who loathed her at the moment. 

Really? Her shadow asked, exasperated at the response. Since when did you care about other people knowing your powers?  

Six snorted at that quietly. ‘Since he existed.’ 

The shadow grew silent at that, before disappearing from her presence. Six continued to follow the boy as they travelled the vents, until they came to a crossroads of three paths. The path to the left was no good, as at some point the earth above had moved and crushed the entire vent, leaving it blocked. That left the vent to the right and straight on. 

Renny looked back to her, seeming to seek her opinion on the matter. Six thought about the position of the house and what direction they travelled, which going by how the wall they had entered was facing the back of the cabin, indicated they needed to go straight on. She pointed ahead, the boy nodding and they continued on, the sound of their feet meeting metal echoing throughout the vents. 

Eventually, after a minute or so of crawling the vent suddenly went up and the pair grabbed the convenient bars of the vent wall and climbed up. They reached the top and as soon as they did, the dim light of the Sun peering at the end of the vent came through. They reached the end of the vent and Renny peered through the vent covering, finding it to be one that could be pushed open.  

Six watched as he peered through the slits, more than likely trying to see where they were and if the adult was out there. He then turned to Six. “It's the back of the cabin alright.” He said, confirming where they were. 

“But I can’t see Skullface or Stub and Netty anywhere.” He explained with a slight frown. 

She raised an eyebrow at the boy’s ‘creative’ name for the adult, though she supposed it fit them.  

“What are we doing then?” She asked the boy, wanting to know their next move. 

Renny frowned at her question. “I’m not sure, there's not much cover out there if we get seen and if they’re hiding it’ll be difficult to find them.” He replied, his voice uncertain. 

Six shook her head at the boy’s uncertainty. “If they’re hiding wouldn’t you know where they were? You said you explored the garden before, surely you know some good hiding spots.” 

The boy seemed to gain a contemplative look on his face as he thought about her words. 

“There might be a spot, outside next to the hole there's a greenhouse that’s got a bunch of tunnels underneath it, seem to be made by animals.” He said, nodding his head as he thought about it. “They’d hide there.”  

“You sure?” Six asked, wanting to be absolutely certain he was right. 

The boy shook his head. “I'm as sure as I can be, given what we know.” He said, turning his head to the vent again. 

She frowned at that. “Sure they're not dead?” 

He snapped her head to her with an angry frown. “I’m sure .” He replied.  

You sure like leaving people behind, don’t you? Her shadow once more mocked.  

Six grimaced at the voice. ‘I don’t know these kids.’ 

You don’t HAVE to know to help y’know. The shadow replied. Sometimes you just help.  

The boy turned his head once more and pushed the grate open and ventured out, holding it open so that Six could finally stand up again. The back of the cabin was indeed a massive garden, plants of various types were laced through out it, flowers, vegetables and fruits included that were severely overgrown.  

The main problem was whilst they were overgrown they were still spread out, creating spaces of bare grass. Six knew that if the adult showed their skull-faced head, they would have to sneak around them carefully. 

Renny motioned to her to follow, carefully watching his steps as he began to approach the garden, as she followed silently. They made their way to first bed of plants, a bunch of overgrown flowers that once possessed bright colours that now seemed faded and dead. It was a good thing they did too, because the second they did the backdoor burst open with a tremendous racket. 

They both reacted instantly, pushing themselves into the floor bed and hiding low to avoid being seen.  The Deer-faced man emerged from the cabin, shutting the door behind him and locking it with a ring of keys tied to his slacks and made his way across the garden passing through the middle. He stopped at the bed opposite them, kneeling down and pulling from his coat a pocket a knife that had a lot of dents in it, but still glinted dangerously in the light. The adult then set about trimming the plants, though Six could tell that it was doing a terrible job at it.  

Renny nudged her with his elbow and indicated to keep moving forward whilst ‘The Deer’ was distracted. Six silently followed as the adult cut the plants loudly, his breaths coming out uneven. They nearly made it to the second bed in front of them, when the snapping of a twig was heard. Six snapped her head to Renny who had stepped on it, his eyes widening at his mistake. 

Of course, the adult didn’t clean up what he had cut. 

The adult reacted instantly and so did they, quickly running into the next bed of what appeared to be vegetables as the adult quickly walked over. The Deer peered around the bed, trying to find what had caused the sound, as Six and Renny matched the Deers movements as they tried to keep under the sparse cover of the plants. Another sound was heard however, the sound of a beartrap going off, followed by the sound of an animal screeching wildly. The adult snapped their head to the sound faster than should be possible, quickly moving towards the source and picking something up on the way that neither of them could make out as it did.  

Once the footsteps reached far enough way that both felt like they wouldn't be seen they set off again, keeping to the plant beds as they did in case the adult suddenly returned. Eventually, Six saw the greenhouse come into view, very much filled with glass and plants inside by the looks of it. Wrapped sacks also hung from the glass hut's ceiling and Six already knew what they contained. 

A problem however, was the massive dead zone stood between the beds and the shack of glass. If the adult came back as they crossed over they would definitely be seen.  

They stopped at the edge of the final piece of foliage and Six listened to the air for anything that might be the Deer. Nothing came and by the look on Renny’s face, he thought the same. They both stood and made as little noise as possible as they jogged across the dead zone, the sound of grass rustling as they did. They reached the greenhouse and Renny grabbed the glass door and began to slowly pull it open. 

Just as the adult returned. 

‘Skullface’ as Renny named, stomped back into view on the opposite side of the garden, carrying in his hand a horribly mutilated fox and in the other, a bloodied hatchet that dripped blood. Six gave a harsh whisper to Renny to speed up as the adult made their way back into the cabin, hoping to avoid gaining the Deer’s attention. That was the wrong move however, as the increased pressure did make Renny open the door quicker, but it resulted in it making a horrible glass scraping sound as it did. 

The adult turned quickly, dropping the fox down the steps and focusing on the pair. There was enough distance between them that ensured that even with it’s unnatural speed it wouldn’t catch them in time.  

Skullface however, didn’t plan to. 

Instead, Six watched as the adult reached into the interior pockets of its coat and drew something from it that made her eyes widen. 

Gun. 

A revolver to be exact. 

The Deer drew back the hammer with one hand. 

And fired. 

Six reacted just fast enough to dive out of the way before the adult fired, the shot missing her and hitting the glass door behind her. The sound of glass shattering spectacularly was heard, followed by Renny letting out a scream of fear and surprise from what had happened. She turned to the door, finding the glass to be now small pieces and Renny on his side clutching his chest in fear. 

Well, at least the door was open, in a fashion.  

She acted quickly, sprinting towards the new entrance and leaping through it, just as the adult finished pulling back the hammer again. Another shot rung out, hitting dangerously close to Six as it hit another glass pane. Renny followed through after that, jumping through and pointing to the hole in the corner of the greenhouse. Six acted and ran for the hole, just as the adult got closer and fired another shot. 

This one however, found its mark. 

Six felt burning pain rocket through her arm, as the bullet grazed between it and her side, tearing through the raincoat and drawing blood. She stumbled slightly from the pain, but continued on regardless, it was nothing new. She reached the hole and pushed through the dirt and fell into the dark space, pushing aside a few roots as she got far enough in to avoid being caught. Renny followed in a second later, the sound of a shot hitting dirt a millisecond later indicating he had just avoided death.  

The sound of the ground above them being trampled on was heard, followed by a very much annoyed sounding adult as they realized their prey had escaped again. Renny let out a few breaths to calm himself and turned to Six with a concerned look regarding her injury. 

“You alright? You look like you got hit pretty bad there.” He asked, his hand reaching out to aid her. 

Six shot him a glare to indicate to stay his hand, which he thankfully did and Six lifted her arm to assess the damage. The shot had indeed grazed her, the top of her coat's arm having been ripped, with a gash running through the arm itself which oozed blood. Her side was worse however, the shot having left a clean rip in both her and the coat that would be a pain to fix for both parts.  

She clutched her side with her good arm and gave Renny a determined look. “I’ll be ok for a bit, just need something to wrap it up.” 

Renny nodded and took a breath. “There’s a few bandages in the wagon, if we can get to it, we can-” 

His words died as the sound of something hitting the dirt behind them was heard and both of them turned to see what it was.

Six couldn't make out what it was exactly in the low light, but whatever it was put out its own light that was slowly moving. Her eyes widened at the realization of what she was seeing, it was a fuse for some kind of explosive...

And it had been lit. 

Neither said a word, instead they quickly acted, as Six ignored the pain in her side to crawl once more on her hands and knees, Renny following quickly as he crouched behind her. They kept crawling as fast as they could, the danger behind them still prevalent. 

Then, it exploded. 

Six felt the earth shake behind her, followed by dirt and sparks of fire quickly catching up to her. She covered her face with her arms as it flew by her, the heat stinging her hands and feet, yet she refused to move. Once the noise stopped and Six felt the earth calm, she removed her hands and opened her eyes, looking around before her gaze landed on Renny. 

He had done the same as her, covering his face and curling up which had prevented most of the damage from the explosion. His hands were singed however, red blisters already present that looked painful to the touch. He uncovered his face and blinked away the dirt covering it, his gaze turning to her and then to his hands. He shook them and winced in pain from what he felt and Six gave him a look that asked if he was alright. 

He nodded at her. “I’ll last.” He replied, his voice now slightly dry. 

Six nodded at him and pushed her way through the tunnel once more to wherever it went. 

Unknown to both of them was the unintended effect the explosive had. 

The Deer, perhaps in its urgency or altered state of mind, had used too big an explosive for the task at hand. 

This resulted in most of the explosive coming out of the hole the adult had dropped it into, resulting in a massive back blast. The explosion ripped through the greenhouse, shattering all the panes of glass in a shower of shards that cut through the surrounding plants and set ablaze to those inside the greenhouse. 

The Deer simply watched in its own twisted sense of horror, anger coursing through it for what it believed these... pests had caused.  

It would kill them for this, eat their flesh.

Six felt the dirt beneath her cling to her hands and knees, aggravating her slightly from the foul mood she was now in given what had happened. Still, they were in one piece and alive, so that was all that mattered. She felt the boy behind her still crouching, keeping pace with her as they eventually reached a small burrow with another tunnel leading out of it and it was big enough for Six to actually sit down, which she did in an effort to regain her breath. 

Renny sat down opposite her, calming himself as well with deep breaths. They sat in silence for a brief moment, before the boy broke it by talking. 

“They’re not here.” He spoke, his voice quiet and slightly anxious. “They’re not here, where are they?” 

Six regarded him for a second. “Probably dead or captured.” She replied, her voice coming out slightly winded. 

He turned to her with a frown. “No, they’re not .” He replied, his voice slightly venomous. “They’re better than that, I know their around.” 

She resisted the urge to scoff. “Then where are they?” She asked. 

The boy shook his head. “I don’t know, there’s plenty of hiding spots around here I’ve not seen, they could be anywhere.” 

Six frowned at the boy's explanation. “We can’t search forever for them, that’s too dangerous especially with the state were in now.” 

Once more he shook his head. “I’m not leaving them .” His voice defiant to what she was saying. “I’ve got responsibility as the team leader and older brother to help them.” 

She raised an eyebrow at him “ You’re the older brother?” She asked, slightly confused. 

He gave her a lopsided smile. “Yeah, everyone seems to think it’s Stub, don’t know why though.” 

Six regarded him for a second before turning to the other tunnel in the burrow. “We go up this tunnel and see where it leads, then we can decide what to do from there.” She explained, pointing at the tunnel. 

Renny nodded at that and got up as she once more crawled through the tunnels of dirt. The tunnel went on for a fair bit of distance, Six finding it to be quite annoying for how long it seemed to be. Eventually, the tunnel started to go up and Six followed it till the light of the cloud covered Sun peered through. She poked her head out the top of the burrow, peering around for any signs of danger. Seeing none, the teen pulled herself out and stood slightly hunched as she held her side, the boy following up after. 

The tunnel had led them to the right side of the cabin, partially into the woods that surrounded them, with the burrow being underneath a slight hill. Six peered around at the cabin and noticed that the greenhouse that they had come from was currently destroyed and ablaze, much to her amusement. 

Renny appeared next to her, taking in the same situation and trying to formulate a plan. He pointed to the cabin once more. “If Skullface came in through the front door then Netty and Stub would have heard ‘em.” He explained. “So they must be still hiding out here somewhere.” 

Six shook her head. “We can’t just aimlessly search, we need a direction.” 

The boy turned to her with a frown. “I know that.” He replied before turning to look at the massive hole in the ground. “Maybe there's some spots behind the hole that we missed, maybe-” 

His words died however, as another shot rang out through the woods. 

But not at them. 

They both snapped their heads to the sound, finding it to be coming from the trees on the opposite side of the hole. It was the Deer, revolver and axe in hand, taking shots at something as they weaved through the trees. Renny moved slightly, trying to get a better angle to see what the adult was shooting at. His eyes widened when he saw the familiar clothing of two boys as they tried their best to sprint through the trees and avoid being shot. 

Renny said nothing at the sight, instead choosing to immediately break into a run despite his injuries through the trees to intercept them. Six made a move to stop him, but stopped and merely clenched her hands in annoyance before chasing after him at a slower pace to hold her side. The boy ran with a feverish pace, trying to get there before the adult landed his shots. Another one rang out, no screams yet, but the tension was growing inside him.  

Finally, looking straight ahead he could see the pair more clearly, the Deer behind them pulling back the hammer once more. He reacted instantly, opening his mouth to take a deep breath before releasing an incredibly loud. “HEY!” 

The adult and the brothers reacted to the sound, the adult turning his head to him along with the pair, their faces in shock at what Renny was doing. The Deer locked on to him, in its mind recognizing the boy to be the one that caused its greenhouse to explode. This made the adult forget about chasing the kids in front of it, as more hated prey was present. 

The Deer raised its revolver once more, taking aim at Renny as he dove behind a nearby tree, the bullet hitting it and splintering the wood. The boy took a deep breath as the footsteps of the adult sounded behind him, as he realized just what he had gotten himself into. The boy took another breath and held it, waiting for the adult to peer around the tree. Once the first sight of the horn started to peak around the tree he bolted, running around the same side and under the adult’s legs. To the monster's credit it reacted fast, swiping with its hatchet at where the boy was, however the boy dove over it, rolling and sprinting past it. 

A growl of anger left the monster, turning with unbelievable speed to the boy and raising the revolver in its hand once more to take a shot. The finger tightened around the trigger about to release the bullet dead center on the boy. 

Then, something struck it on the back of the head. 

It barely caused pain to the monster, merely making it flinch, but that was enough. The adult's aim went wide, causing it to pull the trigger and hit the ground next to its target. The Deer growled again at the mistake turning its head to find the perpetrator who had hit it. Its eyes locked on to the pair from before, each holding rocks ready to throw, though their eyes went wide with fear once it saw them. It raised the gun again and pulled the hammer back, its anger starting to cloud its vision as it pulled the trigger, the brothers attempting to dodge. 

Click. 

The Deer blinked and looked at the gun in confusion, realizing in its anger that it had forgotten how many shots it had fired. The adult growled, realizing its prey was escaping and quickly made to reload the weapon, opening the chamber. 

Then, another rock struck its head with slightly more force. 

The impact once more caused the adult to flinch, this time midway through reloading the revolver, its grip fumbling the revolver and causing it to drop the weapon. The adult let out a snarl of anger at the mistake, bending down to pick up the gun. Then, another rock struck, this one finding it mark. 

It careened through the air with brutal intent, the rock small enough to find its way through one of the Skulls eye sockets and hit the adult's socket bang on. The Deer let a roar of anger escape its lips as it stood straight, clutching the covered socket with its free hand in pain.  

Renny let out a victorious smile at his accuracy, hitting the adult straight through its mask was a risky shot, but it worked out. Six watched from behind a tree at the boy who seemed to be trying to get killed, finding his bravery to be bordering on suicidal. She had to admit though, his attempt to gain the adult's attention had worked. 

Now she wondered what he was going to do with it. 

The adult turned to the boy in question, its one good eye hidden, though the intent behind it clearly understood. It lowered the hand covering its skull, revealing blood to be streaking down its ivory surface like tears. The rage consumed its mind wholly, forgetting the gun behind it that would have finished the boy easier and instead gripping the hatchet with two hands, intent to butcher the boy. 

Renny took a few steps backwards, very much aware of the massive hole behind him that went down for quite a few meters. But his plan relied on it and on the anger of the adult in front of him. 

There was a brief moment of silence, each side doing nothing but staring at the other, waiting for something to happen. 

Then, the Deer struck. 

It leapt once more with incredible speed that was impossible for something of its size, its feet pushing it forward so fast that it was nearly upon the boy within a second. Renny reacted as he planned, once more charging at the monster as it charged him. The adult swung at him in bestial rage, the hatchet aiming directly for his head. 

Once more, he leapt. 

And once more, the adult went over his head. 

The Deer’s good eye widened behind its skull, realizing the grievous error it had made as it careened towards the massive hole of mud.  

It would not sink alone however. 

The adult once more in a show of unnatural speed that defied logic, twisted its body as gravity started to pull it into the hole, shifting its torso just enough so that it could reach the boy withs its free hand. Once it did, it struck. 

Renny felt his body go stiff in fear at the unnatural sight, his fear at the sight only conquered by another as the adult grabbed him in its massive grip. 

Then, they both tumbled downwards. 

The Deer released the boy the instant it started to be rocked down the hill of mud, its body thrown about as the fundamental force pulled it down. It fell face over legs, the sound of the skull covering its face snapping as it went flying down the slope. Renny fared no better, his body racketing down the mud, hitting the natural surface with bounce after bounce that rocked his body. 

Atop the hole both Six and the brothers jogged over, one side concerned with the boy, the other curious as to what had happened to him. They stopped at the edge, peering down to see where they were.  

The Deer and Renny both laid still at the bottom of the pit, both face down in the slightly water filled hole, neither moving. Netty looked down with slight horror at the sight, the fear in his heart pounding at the worst. He opened his mouth, the words spilling out in an urgent cry. 

“Renny!” He shouted out, the panic in his voice apparent. 

No response. 

“Renny!” He repeated, hoping it would get him up. 

No response. 

Finally, the biggest of them all spoke up.  

“Renny!” Stub called out, his usual calm voice taking on one of panic. 

That got a reaction. 

The boy stirred slightly, his fingers twitching as he attempted to rouse himself. 

Netty let a hopeful smile come to his usual frowning face. “Renny! Come on, wake up!” He shouted down to the boy. 

Renny stirred more, his head lifting up and shaking itself as he tried to clear the fog in his mind. 

Six watched the boy lift himself up, slightly impressed that he managed to get up so quickly.  

Perhaps he was tougher than he looked. 

The boy stood slowly, gripping his head and his feet wobbling slightly as they struggled to find purchase in the mud. He lifted his head to those calling his name, releasing a woozy smile as he realized who it was. 

“Hey guys.” He waved tiredly. “Did it work?”  

Netty nodded energetically, his fears shrinking. 

His anger however, returned. 

“What were you thinking?!” He called out, his voice taking on a state of panicked anger. “You almost got yourself killed!” 

Renny shook his head. “Key word there is almost.” He corrected with a smile. 

Netty shook his head. “What if you had died then hmm? What would we have done if you did?” 

He shook his head again. “I didn’t though, did I?” 

The younger boy let a sound of annoyance at the older boy's reply. “Thats not the point, you could have...” 

Six started to tune out the light-hearted argument, finding it to not be important to her and instead trying to focus on keeping her blood inside. She moved her eyes to the cabin once more, remembering what the boy had said about the bandages inside the wagon. Her body started to move, to retrieve them so she could wrap herself up and sit down. 

Then, she noticed something in the corner of her eye.  

Movement. 

Her head turned towards it, realizing it to be the adult, whose fingers twitched slightly, slowly moving themselves over to the hatchet that lay a few inches away. Now, Six may not know these kids that well and she cared about them as much as one cares about what the weather was doing. But even she wasn’t heartless enough to not alert him, it was common sense. 

So, she did. 

“Behind you!” She called out, her voice coming out raspy from hardly shouting. 

Renny looked confused for a second, but then the fog left his mind and he reacted instantly, flinging himself to the left. 

Just as the hatchet parted the mud where he had been. 

The Deer let out a snarl of anger from his uncovered face, revealing in the clouded light to be horribly sunken down to the bone, sockets receding back into it and the skin pulled taut, making the adult's face appear death like. The monster swung again, bringing the hatchet down where the boy had been once more. 

Renny kept himself moving, kept himself rolling around in the mud to avoid being chopped in half by the weapon. Thankfully, the mud was helping slow down the adult, the loose and slippery surface made purchase difficult, causing the adult to keep swinging wildly and reducing the unnatural speed it possessed. Along with Renny’s small size making him more able to move around in the loose ground, he certainly had an advantage. 

But he couldn’t keep it up forever, Six knew that. 

The adult kept swinging, the boy kept dodging. But she could see that the boy was getting winded, the fall knocking out a lot of his stamina and he was going to mess up eventually. 

The two brothers next to her also realized this. 

“We have to do something!” Netty exclaimed, pointing to the brawl below. 

Six frowned at the boy and turned to the pit, watching as the boy avoided another strike, barely. She could do something, yes, she could very easily intervene and stop what was happening. 

But did she want to? 

She didn’t want to reveal her powers to them, to the village, to Mono. She knew what would happen if she did, what events would follow if the boy learned about what she had gained, what she had done. 

But then, another part of her spoke up. 

Not the shadow that followed her. 

No, it was the part of Six that reminded her of what had happened. 

‘He did save you.’ It spoke, a stray thought, a whisper that Six usually barely gave thought to. 

In this scenario, however, it was different.  

The boy had indeed saved her, pulled her out of reach of the adult when she could have been captured. He had led her through the garden with cunning that Six could respect and knew when to respect her boundaries. 

In short, he was owed a debt, a repayment for what he had done. 

Six stared at the boy once more, watching as he was nearly cleaved in two, he was running out of time. 

Her hands shook in annoyance at what had happened, if the boy hadn’t decided to save his brothers, then she wouldn’t be having this dilemma. But then again, who was she to argue about saving people? 

She sighed. 

Six was not someone who left debts unpaid and she wasn’t starting now. 

Even if she really wanted to. 

So, with a mental sigh of resignation, Six unfolded her arms and reached down inside herself again. 

Just as the adult pinned the boy. 

Renny squirmed under the adults gloved hand, the mud sloshing under him as he tried to break free, but it was no use. The Deer let a grin come to its horrible face, the skin on its bare lips pulling back even further to reveal rotten gums and horribly chipped teeth. It raised the hatchet in its other hand up, poised to come down and separate head from body. 

Renny blinked and with unnatural speed, the blade came down. He closed his eyes and waited for the pain to erupt where it struck. 

But nothing came. 

He waited a second before opening his eyes, wondering what had happened and why he wasn’t dead. The adult's hand was frozen in place just short of the monster's face, the fingers holding the handle twitching, as if they were trying to break free of something. The adult turned its gaze to the extremity, trying to understand what was happening, pulling the limb with the rest of its body yet nothing happened.  

Then, they both saw it. 

Tendrils of darkness, like pure shadow, wrapped around the Deers wrist. 

Renny blinked at the sight, his mind trying to comprehend what he was seeing. His gaze noticed that the tendrils came from behind the monster and both him and the adult followed them to see where they came from. 

His eyes then landed on the brim of the pit, to see the girl, Six, darkness flowing around her with tendrils peeking from below her raincoat's arms. 

And his brothers, who stared at the girl with open mouths and eyes of shock and horror. 

The girl then moved her other arm, shooting it forward like a snake, tendrils emitting forward from underneath the clothing. The tendrils shot straight into the adults chest, yet no sound of flesh tearing was heard, no scream of agony came from the monster's lips.  

Not until she started to pull the limb backwards. 

Immediately, the adult started to thrash and try to pull the shadowy tendrils away from itself. Yet the attacks simply passed through the dark tendrils, the blade of the hatchet fairing no better in trying to damage it. The Deer tried to resist the girl, as it felt something within itself being ripped away from it. But trying to resist something you had never seen nor felt before was very difficult. 

As such, the adult only resisted for a few seconds before finally Six tugged once more and something was pulled out. 

A large patch of shadow emerged from the adult that seemed to keep a semi-humanoid form. Yet just as quickly as it appeared it was quickly taken, rushing over to the girl as it seemed to sink into her body. The adult let out no sound as it happened, no scream of defiance or one of rage, only silence and the occasional twitch came from its body. Then, the monster fell forward, face first into the mud, dead as dead could be. 

Six felt the adult's soul seep into her, the thing that animated life feeding the hunger that still lingered inside, rejuvenating it. 

It did little to heal the side that was injured, which she pulled even more now. 

She felt pain once more burn in her side and kneeled to the ground, holding the side in an attempt to stall the blood flowing out. There was a moment of silence at the events that had transpired, all those present trying to make sense of what had just happened. 

Then it was appropriately shattered by what many would call the correct response. 

“What the HELL was that?” Netty asked, a combination of fear, awe and suspicion in his voice. 

Six turned to look at him with a weakly annoyed expression. “Something that I would have liked to keep a secret.” she hissed out.  

The boy looked to question further, but he seemed to notice her injured state and remembered that of his brothers. With an annoyed sigh, he gestured to his larger sibling. “Stub, can you help patch her up whilst I get Renny out?” He asked, his voice sounding tired. 

The larger boy nodded, his face still passive, yet Six could tell he had his own questions. 

Netty nodded back and started to climb down to help his brother up. 

Stub meanwhile, moved himself over to Six, kneeling slightly and hooking his arm under Six's uninjured side to support her. If the circumstances had been different she would have told him not to bother, but the pain in her side told her otherwise. They walked in relative silence, the boy slowly aiding her towards the cabin where the wagon resided next to it. 

“You have powers?” He spoke up, his voice monotone, yet inquisitive. 

Six simply gave the boy a look before responding. “Yes.” 

Stub merely nodded and gave an inquisitive ‘hmmm’ before they returned to silence. After what seemed like an eternity, the wagon appeared in her vision and the boy let her grab the edges of it before he let her go and set about searching through the wagon's pouches. Finally, he retrieved a bundle of the white clothes and presented them to her.  

Six nodded at him and slid off her bag, undoing the buttons of her coat as well, revealing the faded white cardigan underneath. Her blue one had long ago become too small for her to wear and had been pulled apart for materials to be used for stuffing and kindling. This one had been with her for a couple years now, having found it in an abandoned village. 

Now, it too might have to be thrown away with hole torn straight through it. Six gave it no heed, it was a problem for later. Instead, she lifted the cardigan slightly and took the edges of the bandages to begin wrapping it around the open wound. The process was slightly sloppy with her doing it herself, but she wasn’t going to have the boy do it for her nor did he seem interested in doing It either. Finally, she cut it off and did the same to her arm, pulling the sleeve back to reveal the slightly less painful wound. 

After her wounds were dressed, she turned her gaze to the boy who had patiently waited, giving him a bow of her head in thanks. The boy gave her a small smile and returned the remaining ball of bandages to the pouch it came from. As he did, Six pulled her raincoat back on, looking at the blood that now clung to it and the massive hole it now had.  

She was going to have fun repairing that one. 

Regardless of that, exhaustion finally caught up to her and she finally sat herself down on the grass, leaning her back on the wagon wheel with a tired sigh. She let her eyes rest for a few seconds before opening them again, trying her best to keep herself awake. 

Six felt the wagon shake slightly and turned her head to see Stub leaning himself back on it, his expression one that spoke of relief. He then turned to Six with a slight smile. “Thank you for saving my brother.” His voice genuine and thankful. 

Her response was to merely nod at him, she was... unuse to receiving thanks from others. Instead, she decided to ask him a question. 

“Where were you?” She questioned with a slight amount of irritation.  “He was looking all over this place for you, almost got us killed because of it.” 

Stub shook his head. “Forest.” He replied, pointing with a thumb towards where they had come from. “Ran in as soon as we saw the adult walk down the path.” 

Six raised an eyebrow at him. “If you were hiding in the forest, how did you get seen?” 

He nodded his head towards the pit. “Netty got worried.” He simply replied. 

She resisted the urge to sigh at that, seems as though Renny wasn’t the only one whose concern boarded on the suicidal side. 

Is there anything wrong with that? Her shadow questioned , floating above the boy’s shoulder. 

Six restrained herself to not gaze at where the shadow was. ‘There is if it gets you both killed.’ 

The shadow shook its head at her before it disappeared again, retreating to the back of her mind. 

She once more rested her head on the wagon's wheel, time passing as she waited for the other two boys to climb themselves out of the muddy pit.  

Eventually, they did. 

They came walking over at a much slower place, though unlike her Renny didn’t have to be supported, instead simply walking with a slight limp to his right foot. They stopped at the wagon and Renny retrieved some of the bandages and what appeared to be a small container of water, soaking the bandages with it before wrapping them around his burnt hands. 

When he was done the boy let out a relieved sigh and leaned against the wagon, seemingly just as tired as her.  

There was a comfortable silence for a few seconds, a feeling of melancholy as everyone present simply processed what had transpired. 

“What are we gonna do now?” Asked Netty, breaking the peace. 

Renny looked at his younger sibling for a second before giving a tired smile. “We’ll... just a have short rest and a bite to eat, then we’ll continue what we're doing.... ok?” 

Everyone, including Six nodded. She could do with a rest and something to eat, she hadn’t eaten all day after all. She pulled her bag into her lap, opening it up and retrieving the small sack of food Ardy had given her earlier. She opened the sack and pulled one of the pieces of cured meat and eyed it for anything. 

It didn’t look rotten or poisoned. 

She gave it a quick sniff. 

It didn’t smell poisoned. 

Finally, she took a reluctant bite and chewed the meat. 

And it didn’t taste poisoned. 

In fact, it tasted pretty good. 

As she continued to eat the meat, she noticed out of the corner of her eyes that Netty was giving her a weird look. She turned to the boy, raising an annoyed eyebrow in confusion. 

“You seemed awfully suspicious of the food then.” He spoke, revealing the reason for his expression. “Afraid its poisoned or something?” 

Six finished chewing before she gave her reply. “Maybe.” 

The boy gave her another weird look before his gaze wandered and he looked away, deciding to delve into his own sack of food and began eating. As she returned her attention back to her own sack, she noticed that Renny seemed to be giving her a look of... pity was it? She wasn’t sure, though it certainly wasn’t a happy expression. 

It quickly disappeared off his face however, as he bit into his own sack of food, revealing a small portion of bread. 

Six let out a small sound before returning to her own meal, the air silent, save for the sound of eating. 

It was... nice.

They had finished the food some time ago now, resting for a few minutes before returning to the task at hand. They had resumed their scavenging at a slower pace than before, what with both Six and Renny injured. But still they carried on, the cans from before loaded up into the wagon, along with various pots and pans. 

Then there was the Deers revolver. 

Renny had insisted on getting it, telling her that guns like that were very useful for the village. She hadn’t argued but had hold him she wasn’t helping to retrieve it, which handed the task to Stub and Renny as they pulled the firearm into the wagon, checking beforehand that the gun wasn’t loaded. They continued for another couple of hours, pulling all sorts of metal parts and pieces into the wagon and its pouches before it reached capacity.  

Once they were satisfied that nothing more could fit into the wagon, they rested for a few minutes for the journey back, talking only a small amount as they sat next to the transport. Then after a few minutes of rest they set off again, Stub once more pulling the wagon with them down the dirt path and onto the main one they had come on.  

It would take another couple of hours to get back to the village and Six was not looking forward to the conversation she was going to have when she got back. But part of her couldn’t wait to get back, just so she could rest finally and get this day over with. 

So with that in mind, Six set her eyes on the road once more, listening to the sounds of the forest around her, as her mind formulated the responses to the questions he was going to ask.

The creature had heard something, it knew it did. 

It had heard a loud bang, followed by several smaller bangs that all echoed through the forest that it wandered through. It wasn’t suppose to wander through here however, it had gone off course so much now, wandering through the dense foliage away from the signal. 

But even here it could feel the warmth and comfort of the broadcast. 

It followed the sounds it had heard, followed them like a moth to a flame. There wasn’t much that went through the mind of the creature, not anymore, it was all dedicated to the signal. It travelled in the direction of the sound, following the path with uneven steps and horrible sounds of flesh grinding against something inorganic. 

Then finally, it ‘saw’ it. 

Smoke, rising in the distance. 

It stared at the smoke, the last vestiges of intelligence inside itself reminding it that smoke often meant fire and fire often meant people. The creature twitched, the sounds of bones cracking and horrible sounds emitting from places that never should. Then, the thing in the creature's chest crackled to life, static and other noise emitting from it as it tried to connect to something.  

Then, it did and a haunting tune of what sounded like whistling and marching emitted from its chest, a tune used long ago for long journeys. 

And so, the creature walked its journey, intent on discovering the source of the smoke, even if it didn’t know why. 

It simply knew that it had to. 

Chapter Text

Six watched as the walls of New Dream came into her view, the wooden logs an indication that they were here finally. They approached the gates like she had before, Stub signaling to the guards on station to open the gates, flashing the band on his arm. There was a moment of silence, then the familiar sound of locks and latches being undone. 

Once more the gates swung inwards and the guards stationed greeted them. 

Only to immediately realize they weren’t in the greatest of conditions. 

“You look like you went through hell.” One of them commented, a boy, raising an eyebrow at them. “Something happen?” 

Renny was the one to answer them. “Had a bit of a run in with an adult.” He said, pointing to both himself and Six. “Two of us are injured.” 

“An adult?” The other guard said in surprise. “I thought there weren’t any in that spot?” 

“Well there was.” Netty said, barging into the conversation with an annoyed expression. 

Renny briefly gave Netty a look before talking again. “Doesn’t matter anyway, since its already dead.” 

The first guard raised an eyebrow at him. “Really? How?” He asked, a slight amount of disbelief in his voice. 

The boy smiled and nodded his head at Six. “Six here was able to bring ‘em down, pretty quickly as well.” 

The guard turned to her and checked her over once. “The hell did you do to bring it down?” 

Six pulled her mouth into a thin line, she would rather not explain to more people she didn’t know about what had happened. 

Thankfully, Renny seemed to notice her hesitation and quickly intervened. “I think the explanation can wait till later boys, she's quite badly injured and needs to see Doc, don’t cha you think?” He said with a gesture in her direction and a smile. 

The guard seemed to check her over once more, seeming to notice the way she held her side and the bandages that peeked through the raincoat's ripped arm.  

“Yeesh, you like you got hit pretty bad by something.” The guard commented, pulling his face into a grimace. 

“You’ll definitely need to see Doc ASAP.” The other guard said, nodding their head behind them. “I’m assuming you’ll show her where to go?” 

Renny smiled again. “Don’t worry, we will.” 

Whilst Six was thankful for Renny intervening on her part, she didn’t appreciate the need to say she was going to be checked over by some random kid who thought they knew medicine. She could patch herself up, like she had done in the past.  

The boy turned to his brothers. “Can you two take the wagon back to Ardy whilst I take Six to Doc please?” He asked with a polite smile.  

Netty seemed to move to argue, but instead rolled his eyes and motioned for Stub to follow, which the tall boy did, dragging the wagon behind him. Renny turned to her and motioned for her to follow as the guards left them and climbed back up the wall on makeshift ladders. Six merely nodded and followed the boy, taking note of the Sun and that it hung lower now. 

Six followed behind him as they walked across the village before falling in line next to him. 

“Where are we actually going?” She asked, wanting to know where the boy’s head was. 

He looked at her with a raised eyebrow. “Like I said, to see Doc.” 

Upon hearing that, Six stopped walking and affixed the boy with a glare. “No.” 

He stopped as well and gave her a confused look. “No? Six I don’t think you can just ignore the massive wound in your side.” 

She briefly felt like reprimanding the boy for thinking they were on a first name basis, but decided against it. “I’m not letting some random kid check me over, I can handle it myself.” She stated. 

Renny briefly gained an annoyed look on his face before sighing. “You been injured before?” He asked. 

Six rolled her eyes at him. “Numerous times.” She replied sarcastically. 

“Been injured this bad before?” He probed further. 

She pushed her lips at that, thinking back through the years she had spent on her own travelling and receiving numerous scrapes and scars. Finally, she replied. “No.” 

“Exactly.” The boy replied instantly. “I ain’t saying you ain’t tough Six, far from it.” He said, gesturing to her. “Ya haven’t made a single squeak of pain since you got shot and you haven’t asked for anything but bandages to help.” 

Six nodded at him, a slight amount of pride in her chest. 

“But you can’t fix that on your own.” He told her, point at her side. “And if you tried, it might make it worse.” 

Six felt herself scowl at his words; did he think she was new to this or something? 

He continued to talk before she could intervene. “Look.” He started raising his hands in peace. “I can tell you ain’t a people person, I can understand that.” The boy's face then shifted into one of concern. “But Doc ain’t gonna hurt you and they know what they’re doing.” 

Renny then gestured to himself. “They’ve fixed me plenty of times when I’ve cut myself open.” He said, raising his hands and wiggling his burnt fingers. “This ain’t no different.” 

Six simply gave him a blank stare, taking in his words. “You trust them?” She asked, tilting her head forward at him. 

Renny nodded. 

She stepped forward slightly. “Do you trust them with your life?” 

He nodded again. “I trust ‘em with my life and my Brother’s.” He declared. 

Six considered those words for a second. To trust someone else with your life was one thing, it was to rely on them to come through for you, to help you when you needed it and for you to give it in return. Six knew- well... had known that. 

But to trust someone else's life to another? Someone you cared about deeply, like that of family? That was something else. Six knew just with the short amount of time she had spent with the boy that he was someone who deeply cared about his brothers. He had constantly insisted on trying to find them when they were at that cabin and had constantly told her they weren’t dead when she and many others would have believed otherwise. 

In short, him trusting this ‘Doc’ with his brothers lives? That wasn’t just a throwaway line, she knew he meant it.  

That didn’t mean she would like it.  

She affixed him with an annoyed look. “They do anything I don’t like...” She pointed behind her. “I leave.” 

Renny nodded at her. “That's fair enough.”  

He then began walking again, Six following at his side once more. They walked across the village to the massive, metal built building that she had seen before, painted white and red. Renny approached the outside of the building, Six noticing there was a window with a metal shutter that seemed to open and close horizontally, along with many closed metal doors. 

He approached the shutter and knocked on it three times in a rhythmic pattern. A couple of seconds past before the shutter was dragged open, revealing a boy with brown hair tied into a ponytail and yellow eyes that had bags underneath them. The boy wore a makeshift mask over his nose and mouth, which partially hid his high cheekbones and pointy nose.  

The boy rubbed his tired looking eyes before they fell on Renny and he sighed. “Again? Really? You can’t keep coming here for every damn cut you get you know?” He said, his voice exasperated. 

Renny let out a small chuckle at the boys' words. “Relax, Serk.” He said, raising his burnt hands and partially peeling off the bandages to show the damage. “This is completely different and...” He nodded his head to Six “I’ve got someone else that needs to see Doc.” 

The boy, now named Serk, took a closer look at Renny’s hands and his eyes briefly widened in surprise. “That is different, what the hell did you do?” He then raised his hands and shook them along with his head. “No wait, I don’t wanna know.” 

He then turned his head to Six. “And what’s wrong with her?”  

Six made to answer him, but Renny beat her to it. “She got shot.” 

Serk’s eyebrows flew into his chestnut hair at that. “Shot? Just what the hell have you been doing Renny?” 

The boy in question merely rolled his eyes. “It’s a bit of a long story.” 

Serk shook his head. “Then I still don’t wanna know.” The boy then pointed behind him as he hunched forward slightly. “I’ll go let Doc know you’re here, see if she's got any free time.” 

The boy then closed the shutter and Six could hear muffled footsteps walking away. Renny then turned to Six with a slight smile. “That’s Serk, he helps out Doc in the clinic most days, despite the fact he hates blood.” 

She raised an eyebrow at that information but didn’t say anything about it and instead decided to comment on something else. “Why’s he so tired?” 

Renny winced slightly and his face turned into one slight sympathy. “Let's just say that the Doc is a bit of taskmaster when it comes to helping kids.” 

Six nodded at that, though internally she didn’t really know what he meant. 

A minute passed of the two just standing outside the building before the door closest to them slid open and Serk stood on the other side. “Come in.” 

Renny stood forward with a smile and Six followed him. 

They stepped into the building and Six immediately noticed that the interior of it was incredibly clean. The metal surfaces shone and sparkled, as if someone was constantly cleaning them, the wooden ceiling in the same state, a single stain nowhere to be seen on it. Another thing she noticed was how the building was divided into rooms, each one containing only a couple of what appeared to be makeshift cots that housed kids, along with curtains that appeared to be made from leftover fabric that acted as doors for the rooms. 

Not every single one was filled of course, indeed many of the cots were empty, with only a few in the large building being taken. Most of the kids appeared to be asleep, completely deaf and blind to the world, though some were awake and merely staring into the ceiling with nothing to do. Six looked around more, before Serk spoke up. 

“She’ll be seeing you straight away, since she ain’t got many in at the moment.” He informed them. 

Renny nodded, whilst Six paid him no heed and instead continued looking around, noticing that the back wall of the building had a bunch of names scribbled on a wooden board of some kind, the function of which Six didn’t know.  

Then finally, Six heard the sound of footsteps approaching, but noticed there seemed to be something else accompanying the steps that sounded like... creaking? 

Six turned to the source, finding it to be a girl. 

The girl was near enough to Six’s age, appearing only a year younger. They had emerald eyes that shone, accompanied by black hair that was neatly cut short and appeared well kept. The girl wore a face mask just like Serk had, this time made of a black fabric that seemed hand sewn that hid her small nose and mouth. The girl walked towards them with a calm expression, wearing what appeared to be some kind of make-shift doctors coat that fell below her knees. 

Then once Six noticed her walk towards them she tried her best to NOT stare at her legs. 

Just why did she have those legs?! 

The girl stopped in front of them and Renny gave them a wave. “Nice to see you Doc, how you doing?” 

‘Doc’ merely shook her head with an annoyed smile. “Renny... how many times have I told you, just call me by my name.” She then turned her head to Six. “And who’s this?” 

“Six.” Renny replied instantly. “Shes a traveler who stopped here for supplies, came along with us on a scavenge run.” 

“Six huh?” The girl replied, turning towards her. “Nice to meet you.” She greeted. 

Six merely nodded. “And you are?” 

 “I’m Lanu, as you can probably guess I'm the one who patches everyone up who gets hurt around here.” She then turned her gaze to Renny with a smug smile. “Including boys who got things stuck in their-” 

Renny stopped her with a raised finger and an urgent expression. “It was ONE time!” He interrupted. 

The girl merely laughed before she placed her hands in her coats pockets. “So, what did you do this time? Cut yourself open on another nail again?” 

Renny shook his head. “Not exactly.” He raised his bandaged hands to Lanu’s eye level. “My hands are burnt and Six got shot by a-” 

The girl instantly snapped her head to the boy so fast the Six thought it would have broke. “SHOT?!” Her gaze then snapped to Six with both a concerned and slightly manic expression that made Six move her head back slightly in surprise. “Why didn’t you get here sooner then?!” 

Renny chuckled nervously. “Well... you see Doc we encountered an adult and-” 

Lanu rounder herself on the boy and grabbed him by the shoulders to bring him close enough that their faces nearly met. “No excuses!” she shouted, giving the boy a light slap round the back of his head before turning to Six. “Where?! Where were you shot?!” She asked, giving an exaggerated hand gesture to Six. 

Six merely raised her right arm where she had been shot, unsure what to make of the girl in front of her and her... concern? For her wellbeing. 

The girl then gained an annoyed expression before turning to one of the rooms and pointing at it. “Both of you inside the room, now!” She demanded. 

The girl clad in yellow merely balked at the girl, who was she to order the Yellow Devil? But then the girl clapped her hands loudly which startled her. “Come on, chop chop! The longer you take the sooner you die.” 

Six merely walked around the girl, followed by Renny as she wore a confused expression at what was happening. They entered the room, followed closely by Lanu who closed the curtains behind them and instructed both of them to sit on the cots in the room.  

The girl the turned to Renny, instructing him to undo his bandages and seeing his hands first. She looked them over for a few seconds, before sticking her head out of the curtains and shouting to Serk about some kind of ointment before turning her gaze to Six. 

“Strip.” She commanded. 

Six blinked in surprise at the girl. “What?” 

“Strip!” The girl repeated. “Come on get it off, I can’t treat anything if I can’t see it.” 

She briefly felt like arguing with the girl but decided against it, seeing how insistent she was and how she hadn’t done anything Six didn’t like... yet. She began to undo the buttons of the coat, pulling off the treasured clothing and laying it on the cot. Then she took off the cardigan, exposing her to the slightly cool air and revealing the wrinkled and old blue shirt she wore underneath it all which was torn from the shot as well. 

 The girl rolled her eyes at her. “The shirt as well please.” 

Six narrowed her eyes. “No.” 

Lanu narrowed her eyes as well. “Don’t argue, I can’t treat what I can’t see.” 

“The shirt is not coming off, end of story.” Six stated, turning her gaze to Renny and nodding at him. “Especially when hes here.” 

Renny seemed to understand the message and briefly averted his eyes, embarrassed slightly. 

The Doc contemplated her words for but a moment before sighing. “Fine, but can you at least roll up the side so I can see what I'm doing.” 

Six nodded at that, it was an alright compromise. She rolled up the shirt on the right side, revealing the blood-stained bandages wrapped around it. Lanu kneeled next to the cot and ran her hand across her side, seemingly trying to guess how bad the wound was. Then, the girl slowly tore the bandages off, revealing the still red flesh beneath that the air stung slightly. 

 The girl hummed and pulled a face. “You did a good job wrapping it up.” The girl then laid a single finger on the outer rim of the wound, which caused Six to wince slightly. “But it seems you didn’t disinfect it and it might require being pulled together to heal properly.” 

She shook her head at that. “I am NOT having stiches.” They would slow her down considerably.  

Lanu shook her head. “Might not have to, it's quite a clean cut.” She then gestured to her arm. “Let's see how this is doing.” 

Six complied and presented her bare arm, the girl quickly undoing the bandages and checking it over.  

“Not too bad, all things considered.” She commented, nodding her head. “Just needs to be cleaned and wrapped again.” 

With that she stood, right as Serk walked in carrying a bowl filled with something and more bandages. He handed them to Lanu, who smiled behind her mask and gave him a thank-you before talking again. 

“I need you to grab some more bandages and the alcohol please Serk.” She asked. “Oh and the sealant.” She added quickly afterwards, to which the boy merely nodded and left, though not before giving a quick glance towards Six. The girl in question didn’t acknowledge the look but knew what it meant; he didn’t exactly seem happy about supplies being used on someone who didn’t live here. 

Lanu turned and placed the bowl on Renny’s lap, instructing him to keep still as she went about washing his hands in what seemed like handmade cream. The boy sighed slightly as she applied the ointment and once she was done, she applied more bandages to his hands, though with a much more secure wrapping technique.  

Once she was done, she stood and addressed the boy. “Your hands should be fine in a week or so, just avoid anything hot and for god’s sake Renny take more care.” She finished with a tired sigh.  

Renny shook his head. “Not exactly like I could have prevented it anyway but still...” He gave her a truly wide smile “Thanks Doc.” 

Lanu merely nodded at him with her own hidden smile, before Renny turned to Six and gave her a nod towards the curtains. “I’ll wait for you outside, ok?” 

Six merely nodded at him, though she was tempted to tell him to simply leave her.  

The boy raised himself from the cot before parting the curtains and walking away, though the sound of him nearly colliding with someone indicated Serk had come back. The boy in question opened the curtains, carrying the items the girl had requested. He handed them to her and once more she thanked him and he merely gave a sound of acknowledgment before leaving. 

Lanu then turned to Six, setting the items on the cot and opening the alcohol. The girl went to work, dousing a cloth the boy had given her with the liquid before turning to Six. “This is gonna sting a bit, ok?” 

Six resisted the urge to roll her eyes, this wouldn’t be the first time alcohol had been used to treat her wounds, though it would be the first time someone else did it. So instead, she merely nodded at the girl to proceed. 

Lanu did and started to apply the cloth, dabbing it across the wound, cleaning it thoroughly. Six winced as the chemical met her raw flesh, stinging her and making her side scream in pain. But she ignored it, for it was nothing new to her and it was doubtful it would be the last time she would ever feel it. The girl continued cleaning the wound for a minute, before switching to the one on her arm, wetting the cloth again and doing the same.

The one on her arm was quickly done and once finished, the girl took the fresh bandages and wrapped her arm up, once more with a secure wrap. Then, she grabbed a bowl of what appeared like some kind of glue and turned to Six with a friendly smile that was meant to comfort her.  

“Now, this stuff we’re gonna use will seal the wound up for at least a day and allow your body to heal, but its gonna feel a bit weird, alright?” She informed. 

Again, Six nodded for it was more than likely nothing she hadn’t experienced before. 

The girl nodded back and instructed her to turn on the cot so her injured side was facing her. Six complied and sat her legs on the cot, taking care not to focus on the girl’s legs as she did. The girl sat the bowl to one side, taking a second to douse her hands in alcohol before grabbing a handful of the glue and going to work.  

Lanu began to apply the glue, slowly patching it around the edge of the wound, before instructing Six to tilt towards her slightly. Once she did, the girl slowly pushed the wound together, making Six wince slightly and then applied more of the glue before telling her to use her hand to keep the wound closed whilst she continued to work.  

Six complied again, using her hand to keep the skin together as the girl gently spread the glue through the gap, the adhesive hardening quickly on her flesh. After a minute of applying the glue, Lanu told Six to keep holding the two parts together, as she reached for more bandages and began to wrap them around Six’s side. Within a few seconds the wound was once again covered, this time properly cleaned and closed. 

The girl stood and wiped her head with the back of her hands, which caused Six to look up at her to avoid looking at her legs.  

Lanu gave her a smile as she pulled her mask down. “There, that should keep it together till it heals, just avoid stretching it and sleeping on it. Oh and don’t get it wet.”  

Her voice was... kind, caring, something that Six didn’t hear often. As such she replied by bowing her head and made to thank her. But then, she heard footsteps. 

Not just any footsteps however. 

Bare feet, slapping against the cold metal floor. 

Six narrowed her eyes at the sound, most of the kids here wore shoes of varying kinds and states, which left only a couple she had seen that only walked barefoot. 

And she already knew which of the two it would be. 

Lanu herself was also slightly confused at the sound, deciding to peek her head out of the curtains to see who it was, though her demeanor did not change like Six’s. 

“Oh, hey Mono, what brings you into my clinic?” She asked them, confirming who Six thought it was. 

He stopped outside of the curtains, his figure hidden except for his feet that she could see under the curtains.  

“I need to see your... patient.” He spoke, his voice calm yet Six could feel the venom underneath it. “Privately.” He added. 

Lanu seemed to nod at him behind the curtains. “Of course, just let me check them over then you can talk.” 

It was difficult to see, but Six could tell he was shaking his head. “I mean now, Lanu.” He said, his words becoming hardened. 

The girl seemed to be taken back by the sudden harshness of his words. “What do you mean? I can’t just let you see them, there's a procedure to this, you know tha-” 

“Lanu.” He interrupted, his voice becoming more hardened, a tone of command and anger that Six would not expect from the boy. “Please do not argue, I need to see her.” 

For a moment Lanu seemed to hesitate, as if she was genuinely going to argue with him. But then Six heard her sigh and address him once more. “You can have five minutes with her, ok? I need to make sure everything’s alright.” She reluctantly replied, a slight amount of worry in her voice. 

Mono appeared to nod at her. “Of course.”  

With that, Six heard the sound of the girl walk away and the boy turned to the curtains and his hand came through, pulling them back to allow him to enter. He walked into the little cubicle with a stride, the curtains flowing back into their position as he entered and locked eyes with her. 

“Six.” He once more greeted, the level of hostility in his voice having not changed since they last met. 

She pulled her face into a sneer. “Mono.” She greeted back, the level of anger in her voice much lower, given the state she was in. 

He walked around the other side of the room, her eyes following him as he positioned himself opposite the cot she sat on. He turned to her, hands locked behind his back as he loomed over her. “You know what I'm here to ask, don’t you?” 

Six gave a quiet snort at that. “Of course I do.” She replied, having already known this would happen. “But I have a question for you too, Mono.” 

The boy narrowed his eyes behind his paper bag, an eyebrow raising itself as well. “Oh? And what would that be Six?” He asked, spitting out her name. 

She pointed to where the girl had left, her eye narrowing. “Why does she have the legs of those porcelain...things?” She spat out. 

Indeed, Six had been avoiding looking at the girl’s legs for they were the exact same as those porcelain creatures. 

Calling them kids would be wrong. 

They started just from the knee above, the shiny reflective surface that tried to replicate that of a child's flesh, complete with the knee joints that bent and creaked every time she moved. Six had tried her best not to look at them, she did not have fond memories of what had happened all those years ago and even just seeing the legs brought back a feeling of anger in her chest. 

Mono blinked behind his mask, remembering what had occurred all those years ago and realizing why the girl in front of him would ask that. 

Still, the sheer venom with which the girl spat out the word was not appreciated. 

“Lanu” Mono corrected. “Lost her legs to an adult that wanted to... eat her.” He his last words filled with disgust. 

Six only slightly nodded at that, it wasn’t uncommon for adults to consume them. “But why those legs?” 

He resisted the urge to snort at her, as if everything revolved around her. “It wasn’t done on purpose, a friend brought them in to try and cheer her up, give her some ‘brand new legs’” He explained. 

“So, she tried them on as a joke to get people laughing, which they did.” He continued with a gesture. 

“But then she kept wearing them day after day and soon enough she found she could walk again with them, no idea why though.” He finished, locking his eyes back to her. 

“Now, are you going to tell me what I want to know?” He asked, his voice low. 

She merely rolled her eyes at his tone. “And what would that be, Mono?” 

He raised his finger and leveled it at her. “Don’t play dumb with me Six, you know what I’m asking.” He lowered himself slightly to look into her vermillion eyes better. 

“When were you gonna tell me you had powers?” 

The girl merely let a small chuckle escape her. “In reality? Never.” She answered truthfully. 

The boy gritted his teeth at her words. “So, you were never gonna tell me or anyone that you had these powers? You were going to simply wait and leave?” He asked incredulously. 

Six narrowed her eyes at his question. “Yes.” 

Mono kept his teeth gritted as he forced out a simple question. “Why?” 

She replied by letting out a small ‘hmph’ of amusement. “Why? This...” She started, pointing at him. “This is why.” 

He tilted his head slightly and narrowed his eyes, what did that mean? 

Six answered him. “I knew if I told you, you’d freak out like this, unnecessarily.” She told him, shaking her head. “It doesn’t even matter to you anyway, if I hadn’t gone on that trip, you never would have known about them.” She then stood from the cot to look him in the eye. 

“So why do you really care?” 

Despite the mask, Six KNEW that his face was one of fury, as he straightened himself to his full height to look down at her. “You’re right, I don’t care about your powers.” He answered, taking a step closer to her. 

“But I do care about my people and as such I look for things that threaten us.” He stated, raising his finger and jabbing it into her shoulder.  

“And YOU are a threat, you could have used those powers to kill them, to kill me, to kill anyone in this village, a ticking timebomb.” He said with a snarl. 

Six swatted his finger away with a slap. “Don’t you patronize me, you're not exactly a saint either, or did you forget about those powers you have?” 

For a split second Six could have sworn that his eyes briefly took on one of fear at her words, but his hatred quickly came back. “No, I haven’t.” He admitted reluctantly. “But I had mine since I was born, you didn’t.” He pointed his finger back at her. “So where did you get them from?” 

A brief thought passed through her mind about telling him what had happened, every little detail about what happened on that boat, but decided against it. “From the Maw.” 

The boys' eyes widened slightly. “You went to the Maw?” 

Six raised her eyebrow slightly. “You know of it?” She asked. 

“Some of the kids here escaped from it, called it a deathtrap, a factory for kids.” He replied, sighing slightly before locking eyes with her again. “I bet you liked it there, didn’t you?” 

Her vermilion eyes narrowed at his assumption, of her liking that cold, damp and adult infested place. “Far from it, left it as soon as I could after killing the adults in the way.” 

Mono chuckled at that. “I bet you liked doing that though, didn’t you?” 

Six scoffed at that. “You think killing adults is wrong? Would you have preferred your scavenger dying, hmm?” 

He shook his head at that. “No, but I know for a fact that you've used it on other kids who didn’t deserve it.” 

She felt her anger raise itself at the accusation. “You have no proof of that.”  

“And you have no proof that you didn’t” He replied smugly. 

The girl wanted to argue more but decided against it, it would just lead somewhere that wasn’t pretty. So instead, the girl merely sat back on the cot and stared at him. “I take it you know about what happened at that cabin.” 

The boy nodded his head at her. “I know most of the details.” He answered, a hint of pride in his voice. 

Six merely looked at him before letting out a small laugh. “You probably don’t know the detail that the adult knew the Hunter, did you?” 

Indeed, Mono did not know, as his eyebrows flew up behind his bag. “What?” 

“Saw a picture of them with the Hunter, seems they knew each other.” She answered, pulling her raincoat into her lap to look at the hole. 

The boy sat in silence for a few seconds before replying. “Brought back memories, did it?” He asked calmly. 

She narrowed her eyes, but did not look up. “Maybe.” 

He moved around slightly to her left as he continued to talk. “Memories of sitting alone in that cabin, cold, dark and nothing but a music box to keep you company.” He turned his head to her. “Until I rescued you.” 

He raised his hand under his bag, scratching his chin in thought. “Although... looking back at it... Perhaps I should have left you there.” 

Six raised her head to look at him. “And perhaps I should have dropped you down that pit sooner.” She replied venomously. 

The boy growled from her reply and made to approach her, to do what she had no idea, but she wasn’t letting him. She raised her hand and let the liquid shadow congeal in her palm, it wouldn’t do anything of course, but she knew it would make him stop. 

Which he did.  

Mono stopped in his advance, observing the power with a defensive posture unsure of what he was seeing.  

Six narrowed her eyes at him. “Don’t start things that you can’t handle yourself.” She stated with clear intention. 

The bag-headed boy stared at her with a cautionary glare before stepping back, which made Six lower her hand, the shadow fading back into her. There was a moment of silence before Mono shook his head with a low growl. “I'll be happy when you’re gone.” 

She let out an amused huff at that. “Well, bad news for you then because I have to stay here for those three full days now because of this.” She told him, pointing at her side.  

He stared at her side with an unknown look. “I heard about that, you got shot didn’t you?” 

Six nodded. “I did, no thanks to that boy constantly trying to get us killed.” She replied, her mind replaying the memories of Renny’s near suicidal care for his brothers. 

There was a beat before Mono spoke again. “Why did you save him?” 

The girl in the shirt tilted her head at him with a questioning ‘hmm?’ 

“You could have let him die, you could have just left them there to be killed, but instead you saved him.” His eyes narrowed at her. “Why?” 

She was quiet for a second. “Who knows?” She replied with a shrug. 

“Don’t lie to me.” He snapped, his tone becoming accusatory. “I know you wouldn’t save them out of the kindness of your heart, so what's the real reason?” 

“You know me?” Six replied, shaking her head. “You don’t know anything about me, given how you’ve acted.” 

His eyes narrowed. “Don’t avoid the question.” 

Six scoffed at him, before replying. “Why did you save me?”  

Mono’s eye widened for a second and went silent before replying. “I’m not answering that.” 

She leaned back slightly and crossed her arms. “Then neither am I.” 

They stared at each other for a few seconds, neither budging on the questions that were asked. Finally, Mono let out an angry huff and stomped his way through the curtains, the sound of his footsteps echoing away from her. 

She didn’t even receive a thanks from him. 

Perhaps you shouldn’t have threatened him then? Her shadow asked, slowly floating into her view. 

Six scoffed at it. ‘You saw what he was going to do.’ She told it. 

What you THOUGHT he was going to do. The shadow corrected, placing its hands on its hips. You keep antagonizing him like this and something’s going to happen and it won’t be pretty.  

She stared at the shadow. ‘Then perhaps he shouldn’t dredge up the past.’  

The shadow made to argue more but stopped when the sound of another pair of footsteps approached quickly, the sound of creaking accompanying it. 

Lanu then parted the curtains and approached Six with a nervous smile. “You alright?” 

Six could answer that question in many ways but decided to be simple and nod. 

The girl nodded back with a more calmed smile. “Well, all I need to do now is just check you over and then you can leave.”  

“Is that necessary?” She inquired, her tone becoming annoyed now, she just wanted to rest. 

The Doctor didn’t seem to notice the annoyance in her voice and simply replied to her. “It's just to make sure that we didn’t miss anything, ok?” 

Six shook her head in irritation. “Fine.” She replied, simply wanting it to be over and done with.  

The girl nodded and took a seat besides Six on the cot that felt a little too close and began inspecting her for anything wrong. The girl prodded and pricked, trying to see if anything was wrong, which constantly annoyed Six, but she was too tired to care at his point. Eventually, the girl asked a question. 

“You know Mono?”  

The question had been asked a few times now and every single one annoyed her more and more, why were these kids so damn interested in her history with the boy? 

She technically only knew him for two weeks! 

Regardless, she answered. “Yes.” 

The girl nodded and let a small hum as she continued to examine her. “I thought as much, though you seem to have some history between you.”  

Six turned to her with a question glare, what exactly had she heard? 

Lanu noticed her glare and waved her hand in front of her. “Don’t worry, I didn’t hear anything specific.” She returned to examining Six as she talked. “Just... overheard how you were talking to each other, neither of you sounded happy.” she explained. 

She hummed at that, that was something she could agree on with him she supposed. 

They fell into silence again before Lanu spoke again. “You sure have a lot of scars, travel often?” She asked, curiosity in her voice. 

Six hummed at her. “Always travelling.” She answered. 

The girl seemed confused by her words. “Always? You... never thought of settling down anywhere, finding some peace?” She queried. 

She shook her head at the girl's words. “No, would get too settled, too relaxed, something would happen eventually.” She answered truthfully, though she wasn’t entirely sure why she did answer. 

Lanu let out a silent ‘ah’ at Six’s words, seeming to understand what she meant. “Don’t want to get caught off-guard do you? Constantly on your toes when travelling, I used to be like that.” 

That made Six turn and raise an eyebrow at the girl, she... understood it? 

She let out a small laugh at Six’s expression. “Yes, back some time ago now I used to travel with two other boys, travelled the entire Eastern coast at one point.” She explained, finishing with a sigh of nostalgia. “It was an... interesting time.” 

Six tilted her head as the girl told her to lift her left arm. “What changed?” 

The girl's eyes lit up slightly as she stared straight ahead for a moment. “I found this place.” 

She tilted her head at the girl, gesturing for her to explain.  

Lanu nodded and began to. “Something you need to understand is that I’ve always helped people, always patched them up, always cheered them up, always helped them... move on.” She explained, though the last part was spoken with a tinge of remorse. 

Her attitude sparked up again, however. “When I came to this place... five years ago now, I think?” She gave a small laugh at her half-hearted attempt at remembering before conutining. “Doesn’t matter, but when I came here I didn’t plan to stay, our group was just looking for some food for the road.” 

“So, we stayed for a few nights and then a bunch of kids came back injured that lived here and Mono was asking for help patching them up.” 

She smiled once more as her voice took on one of confidence and joy. “So of course, I helped right away.” 

“It cost me a night of sleep, but at the end of it I helped those kids sleepy soundly, no fear of death in sight.” She stated, the pride in her voice clear as day. 

“And when I finished, I realized just how much I...” She paused as she looked for the right word. “Cared, about helping other people, how much good I could do if I settled down.” 

Six raised an eyebrow at her. “Just like that?” It seemed a bit much for the girl to just drop her life of travelling just over one event. 

“Well...” Lanu started hesitantly, seemingly... blushing? Six couldn’t tell. “Praise from Mono also helped.” 

She turned to the girl with a confused ‘eh?’ at her words, what was she on about? 

The girl seemed to grow more flustered at her confusion. “Well... Mono is different you know? He helps around and supports everyone and really tries to make a difference.” Her flustered state seemed to calm down a bit as she smiled more warmly. “There's just something about him that makes him feel safe to be around, you know?” 

She turned to face Six as she stood. “I mean... I would assume you do know, since you know him, right?” 

Six shook her head at the girl, just who did she think Mono was? Then again, what she said wasn’t... untrue. 

At least, it wasn’t till Six saw the truth of the matter, all that time ago when he had shown his true colours, the true pain he could inflict on people, on her- 

She stopped her thoughts there, it was unneeded. 

Six stood and turned to the cot and the coat and cardigan it held. “We done now?” She asked tiredly. 

The girl nodded, though Six couldn’t see it. “We are, no other injuries present, at least none I can see.” 

She nodded at the girl’s words as she buttoned up her prized coat around her body, feeling the familiar safety of it. She then paused for a second, as the words that she rarely spoke at all came out her mouth for the second time this day in what must have been years. “Thank you.” 

Lanu flashed her a smile. “No problem, just come back if you’ve got any problems, alright?” 

Six gave her a sound of acknowledgement, before picking up her backpack and parting the curtains, not bothering to give the girl a goodbye. 

The boy from before, Serk, was still stood at the doors, though when he saw her he quickly shuffled around and opened the door for her, to which she merely gave a nod to him. Though as Six exited she could tell he was starting into the back of her head. The door closed behind her with a metallic screech, as Six steeped out into the village and noticing two things. 

One: it was already pretty late, the Sun setting in the distance. 

Two: Renny was nowhere to be seen. 

Other people would have been insulted by the boy leaving, especially when they had told them they were going to wait for them. Six however, didn’t care as she knew he would not wait forever and indeed she had taken more time than needed, especially with Mono coming to antagonize her. So, Six let her thoughts of the boy go and instead decided to go see someone who owed her something now. 

Ardy. 

It took a few minutes to walk across the village at her reduced speed, but eventually she reached the massive shed and entered through the slightly opened door. The shed was much darker now, thanks to the retreating Sun, but it didn’t take long to find the boy, as a source of light was lit in the shed, revealed to be a lamp the boy had lit. 

The boy in question was currently stacking some boxes around, clearly getting ready to close for the day, though once he saw Six emerge from the shadows he jumped slightly, but nevertheless smiled at her. 

“H-hey Six, how you holding up? I heard you g-got hurt pretty bad.” He asked, giving her a nervous smile, which seemed to hold genuine concern for her. 

Six didn’t understand why he seemed to care, nor did she want to, instead she merely shrugged her shoulders at him. “I’ve suffered worse, so I'll live.” She replied. 

The boy nodded nervously at her. “G-good to hear, good to hear.” He said. 

She then approached him and crossed her arms in front of him. “I assume you know what I'm here for?” She asked. 

Ardy lifted an eyebrow at her. “Y-you want them already? I w-would’ve thought you’d want to rest up first.” 

Six lowered her face into a deadpan expression. “I don’t have a bed.” 

He became slightly embarrassed at her reply, nervously fidgeting his fingers. “Ah right... t-that makes sense.” He then shook his head slightly. “A-alright then, just wait here and I'll get your things.” 

The boy then walked off slightly taking the lamp with him, which left Six in the dark in the slightly darkened shed, though she could still see just fine. Her thoughts drifted to what had happened only a few hours earlier, about what secrets she had already revealed in 24 hours, how she had saved someone with no return expected and how the boy from her past seemed to be becoming more and more agitated with her. 

She sighed. 

Things could never go right, could they? 

A few minutes passed and eventually the light came back as Ardy held the lamp, a sack slung over his shoulder as he approached.  

“H-here you go.” He said, handing the sack over to the girl, which she gave a small shake to confirm what was inside. “E-everything you wanted is in there, including a few extra bandages, s-since we had too many.”  

Six nodded, opening the sack and her own backpack, transferring the items from one to the other. Once she was, she handed the empty sack back to the boy and made to leave. 

“W-wait.” 

The girl in yellow stopped, turning back to the boy with a raised eyebrow, as he fiddled with his hands before looking up at her. 

“I... I wanted to t-thank you, for saving Renny, for saving a-all of them, really.” He admitted, voice filled with genuine praise and happiness that made Six slightly uncomfortable. “I don’t know w-what I would have done if I lost ‘em. They’re some of m-my greatest friends and workers.” 

He looked up to her with a heartfelt smile. “S-so... Thank you, truly.” He finished. 

Six felt something inside herself from the praise and thanks, though she wasn’t sure what to make of it, so instead she merely gave a nod and muttered ‘your welcome’. 

The boy nodded at that and there was a moment of silence before his eyes seemed to light up. “I-I know, how about I give you s-something for saving them?” He asked, gesturing around him, slightly excited. “Anything you w-want?” 

She pushed her lips at that, anything she wanted?  

Her gaze turned to the hole in her beloved coat, seeing the massive scar that would need to be filled and the cardigan that would need to be replaced. 

Six knew what she wanted. 

She turned to the boy with a curious gaze. 

“You got a thread and needle?”

Turns out, he did. 

Not only that, but he also had some spare material that matched her coat, which would make it even easier to repair. 

Which was what she was currently doing. 

She sat in her temporary abode, illuminated by the lamp as she slowly and carefully pulled the needle through the coat as it sat on the table. It was grueling work fixing up the coat, especially at night with her injury and level of fatigue. But Six wasn’t going to simply leave the coat in its current state till the morning, it was too special for that. 

So even though it wore her out, she had worked on both it and her cardigan, managing to fix the thing up even with the massive hole. 

As she put the finishing touches on the stitching to hold the new material in place she heard a knock on the wood outside the hut. She lifted her head to see a familiar figure, leaning on the doorway with a smile. 

“Hey.” Renny greeted, nodding at her. “Can I come in?” 

Six thought about his request, technically it wasn’t her hut so he could come in freely, but asking for permission was still appreciated. Reluctantly she nodded, she needed to talk with him anyway. 

The boy smiled and approached the table, pulling out the other chair and sitting down, placing his hands on the table. There was a moment of silence, the only sound being Six finishing fixing her coat before the boy spoke up again. 

“I... came by to apologize for ditching you outside the Clinic earlier.” He started, his face slightly remorseful and voice apologetic. “I got bogged down with my brothers and Ardy wanting to see me about-” 

“You told him.” Six interrupted, pulling the final threat through the material. 

Renny blinked from her interruption. “What?” 

“You told him.” She repeated, looking up from her handiwork to stare at him. “About what happened at the cabin, about my powers.” 

Understanding dawned in his eyes, before a frown fell upon his face. “I can’t lie to the Boss, just ain’t right to do so, especially about something like that.” He stated defensively. 

Six shook her head slightly. “It was still my secret; one I would have rather not shown.” 

The boy twisted his face into a puzzled one. “Why not? I mean I get if it’s for privacy reasons, but you didn’t seem to be that upset about us knowing.” 

She rolled her eyes at him. “Not you I'm concerned about knowing.” Her head turned to the doorway. “It’s him.”  

Renny seemed to become more confused at her words. “I heard about this, you got something against the Boss, don’t you?”  

Six was slightly surprised at how quickly the news had spread from only a couple of people about her distain for the boy but didn’t voice it. “Yes.” 

He lifted his eyebrow at her. “What could you possibly have against him? He’s one of the nicest people I know, heck everyone likes him.” He gestured to her vaguely. “What could you dislike about him?” 

She narrowed her eyes at the boy, part of her wanting to tell him about what had happened all that time ago, to shatter the image of what he held Mono as. The thought was banished however, it would serve no point, so instead she answered him vaguely. 

“Something that happened a long time ago, something that happened between us, something neither of us have forgotten.” Her words coming out tired, yet angry. 

The boy tilted his head at her. “How long ago was this... thing that happened?” 

Six thought for but a moment. “Seven years now.” 

He responded to her answer by looking at her like she was insane. “You still hold a grudge against him after seven years?“ He asked incredulously. 

“We both do.” Six corrected, holding her fixed coat up in the light to see the finished work.  

Renny was silent for a few seconds as he considered what she said. “What exactly happened?” He questioned, his voice curious yet cautious. 

The girl merely turned to him at his question, her bangs parted slightly so he could see her crimson eyes that narrowed into a glare. Even a blind person could see what that look told him and as such he backed off from the question, clearly she wasn’t going to answer it. 

Instead, he would do what he originally came here to do. 

“Let's forget about that then.” He declared, smiling at the girl. “Instead, let me continue what I was going to say.” 

Six observed him for a second before nodding for him to continue. 

“I came by to apologize about leaving, but really I came by to thank you again.” He stated, his smile becoming more warm and grateful. “It... means a lot to me that you saved me and by proxy, my brothers.”  

She merely nodded at him again, still unused to receiving praise from others.  

“So...” He started, wringing his hands slightly. “I wanted to thank you for that by inviting you to grab some food tomorrow with us?” He nodded his head to the side in deliberation. “Of course, only if you’ve got nothing to do?” 

Six stared at him for a second, considering his request. “You can cook?” 

The boy laughed and shook his head. “Nah, I can’t cook to save my life.” He flicked a thumb behind him. “There's a place that's run by a kid named Lace who cooks up food for a bunch of us, really tasty.” He seemed to drool at the thought. 

“Usually, you’d have to pay for the food, but considering you saved us, I think you deserve to eat for free.” He flashed another smile at her. “Courtesy of us of course.” 

The girl across from him said nothing as she considered his request. In truth she’d rather not have to deal with more people, especially in what would undoubtedly be some crowded place with the brothers asking more questions. On the other hand however, the sound of a hot meal for once was... inviting to say the least and it being the gift from them was not bad either. 

With a mental sigh, Six nodded at him. “Fine, I’ll come, if only because I don’t have anything else to do.” 

Renny smiled widely at her acceptance. “Great! I’ll come back at about noon for you, if that’s alright with you?” 

Six just mutely nodded at his response, it wasn’t like she had anything to do before then. 

The boy clapped his hands together and rubbed them before standing up.” Right then, guess I'll see you tomorrow at noon then.” He then turned to exit though not before turning his head once more to flash her a smile. “Have a good night and once again, thank you.” 

The boy then left, leaving Six in the hut alone. 

She let out a sigh, just what was she getting herself into now? 

Regardless, she had already agreed to it now so the only thing she could do now was wait for it to come. With that in mind, Six leaned over to the lamp, extinguishing the light and plunging the hut into darkness. She then stood from the chair and walked over to the other room, coat in hand as she approached her backpack and new sleeping bag in the corner. 

The sleeping bag was very much new and comfy, much comfier than the one she had before. When she reached it, she laid the raincoat next to it as she no longer needed it as a pillow. The girl then clambered into the cocoon, wrapping herself in it and letting her tired eyes rest. 

Though not before giving one last instruction. 

‘You’re on night watch again.’ 

AGAIN?! Really? Her shadow complained before sighing. Fine, just be glad I can’t hit you for making me constantly do this.  

Six let out an amused sound, before releasing a deep breath and letting darkness consume her.

The creature stumbled towards the cabin with twitching steps, it had finally reached the smoke. 

It had taken it much longer than it should have, which was expected given the condition of the creature, as even others of its kind were faster than it. But it did make up for its speed in other ways, much more... horrifying ways. 

The creature approached the source with unknown interest, finding it to be a smoldering pile of metal and glass, that had once been a botanical shed or at least that’s what it thought it was. It had clearly been on fire recently and the creature reached out, touching some of the smoldering remains which burnt its skin, though it gave no reaction to the pain, the capacity for it long since gone. 

Then, it sensed something... unnatural, something like itself that made the thing in its chest hum louder. 

The creature turned to the source, finding a massive pit that went down for a good few meters. It approached the edge, barely avoiding falling down the hole with its lack of balance and extra weight. Then, it ‘saw’ it, a body of an adult, akin to itself. 

Except, it was missing something. 

The creature could see more than others, the connection it held with the Broadcast had given it many boons and curses and with one of them it could tell that the adult was... empty, it lacked the thing that animated it. Death often meant the removal of the source, but not like this, this was different. 

The creature twitched its head, turning it around and spying something on the edge near it. A little flicker, a remnant of something that happened that it could see. The creature approached it, a tiny flicker of shadow that floated like smoke, the remains of the adult's soul and of something else. The smoke was not idle however, it trailed somewhere off to the side of the creature. 

It followed the trail withs its twitching head, seeing it lead down a path to the cabin.  

Something in the creature once more compelled it to move, it did not know why but it simply knew that it must investigate the trail, it must follow it to its source. 

As the creature once more walked, twitching and releasing disgusting sounds, the thing in its chest whined and stuttered, before it connected once more and a song played from its chest. 

“Come fun, here comes Veronica.”  

“Come, come, he cut Veronica.”  

“R u n, r u n, h e r e c o m e s V e r o n I c a.”  

“S  e  n  t  o  n  a  f  e  r  r  y  u  p  o  n  o  u  r  s  e  a.”  

Chapter Text

-barely moved her head to the side to avoid the foot breaking her nose.  

The dodge caused the boy to stumble forward, as his foot met the wooden floor and his legs stretched in an effort to keep him up right. To his credit he did not fall, instead he quickly righted himself and lifted his other leg in attempt to stomp her head. Six felt herself roll again as she avoided his other foot, the sound of air passing near her head followed by a muted creaking of wood.  

Again, he raised his foot to stomp her but this time she prepared for it.  

Once the foot was raised, she dodged early, rolling on to her back as the boy went to crush where she had been. Once the boy was in motion and his foot was planted on the floor, she struck, kicking her foot out into the boys exposed side.  

Unbeknownst to her, the side she struck was the one the boy had injured prior, the full force of a crashing train car had impacted his side which had threatened to nearly break his ribs. Luckly for him it had merely cracked the bottom rib and greatly bruised his flesh and muscle, making it incredibly sore.  

Which is why he screamed when the blow hit.  

He let loose a howl of agony as the blow met his side, any thought of trying to injure the girl gone as he held his ribs in attempt to staunch the pain, kneeling on the ground. The girl briefly felt confusion at the boy's reaction and a smaller part of her felt conflicted to continue hurting him.  

She ignored that smaller part.  

Instead, the girl quickly leapt to her feet, taking advantage of the temporary distraction to charge the boy with her full body weight, crashing into him with savage intent.  

This time, he fell over.  

Mono once more let a cry of pain loose from his lips as she tackled him, forcing him onto his back as his side flared up and forced the air from his lungs. Then, he was silenced when the first blow met his face. It temporarily stunned him, his eyes becoming unfocused with pain from the blow.  

Then the second blow came and quickly put him back into reality.  

He once more cried in pain from the below, gritting his teeth as the girl managed to land a third blow to his now bruised face before he managed to raise his arms. The fourth blow met his raised arms, causing them to buckle under the blow, but not break. The girl in yellow seemed to hiss at the defense, grabbing his arms in an attempt to force them aside, to peel them back and scratch at his exposed face.  

Mono wouldn’t allow that.  

Instead, as the girl attempted to pry them away he quickly acted, grabbing one hand with his own and forcing it to be still. Six growled at that, trying to pull at the arm with her own strength to break his grip, bringing her other hand over to assist.  

He grabbed it before it could.  

They were now in a stalemate, the once bag covered boy holding the raincoat girl’s hand with strength born of anger and fear, as they both attempted to overpower each other.  

Unluckily for him, Six was the one on top and as such, had the advantage of gravity.  

Slowly but surely, the girl moved her hands towards the boy’s throat, the intent clear as day in her eyes as they moved closer. The boy struggled as her hands inched closer, his eyes narrowing in defiance and fear. He noticed however, that as her hands got closer so did her head, her eyes holding a dangerous glare.  

He could work with that.  

When the girl’s hands were mere inches from his throat he acted, pulling his arms and hers to the back of his head, her face coming towards him with widened eyes...  

As he brought his forehead to it.  

The girl let her own cry of pain leave her lips as her nose met his skull, stumbling backwards slightly and off the boy, giving him enough time to plant his hands and kick her back farther. Six stumbled backwards from the kick, still clutching her face in pain. Slowly she blinked, ignoring the pain in her face and the blood that trickled down her nose as she removed her hands from her face.  

Just in time to see Mono leaping towards her, arms outstretched with fury in his face.  

Her eyes widened and-  

She awoke with a gasp... 

That quickly turned into an annoyed growl. 

This was now the second time that dream, that memory had occurred and it was starting to make her chest heave with anger. She shook her head at it and took a breath to rid herself of the anger before her eyes looked at the window to tell the time. 

The dream had unfortunately woken her up earlier than she would have liked, the Sun only starting to peek through the makeshift window and illuminate the interior. Many would have chosen to simply rest their heads again, though unfortunately Six wasn’t one who could simply fall asleep after waking and it would take too much effort to try to.  

Instead, she would simply have to find a way to kill more time than what she had planned. 

With a sigh, she opened the sleeping bag up, stepping out of it with another creak in her knees that made her sigh in relief when they popped. She then took stock of the hut, making sure everything was where it was when she slept. Confirming nothing had moved, she grabbed her bag and dragged it over to the table and sat herself down.  

Six then pulled open her bag and the sack of food from yesterday, having saved enough of the meat and cheese to have breakfast. She dug into the food and savored the taste of it, as it had been a while since she had anything like this. 

Unfortunately for Six, it was ruined by the presence of another... 

Her shadow floated into the chair opposite her, leaning its arms on the table in a casual fashion as it stared at her eating. Six started back as she chewed on a piece of meat, wondering what the shadow was doing. 

Are we gonna talk about what happened earlier? Her shadow asked, finally breaking the silence. 

Six finished chewing and swallowed before she spoke. “Talk about what?” She responded. 

The shadow shook its head in amusement. About the dreams or did you forget I can see them?  

She pulled her face into a grimace at her shadow's words. “There's nothing to talk about.” 

If the shadow had a face, it would have undoubtedly pulled into a smile of disbelief at her words. Really? You don’t think there’s ANYTHING to talk about regarding the dreams of you and your best-  

“Stop.” Six commanded, finishing the last bite of her meal and leaning her head forward at the shadow. “He is not my friend and those dreams mean nothing.” 

The shadow let out an amused laugh at that, the noise coming out like hers, only slightly echoey and distorted Really? The shadow asked, its voice now filled with snark. They don’t mean anything?  

Her response to that was to release an unamused huff at the ghost-like entity. “And what do you think they mean?” She asked back. 

That caused the shadow to correct itself into a more serious posture, its head leaning forward at her. I think it means you know what you did was wrong.  

Six felt her face shift into an angry frown at that. “What I did was wrong?” 

Yes The shadow replied, shifting it hands to intertwine them. Afterall, you did doubt yourself for a while after what happened, so it only makes sense tha-  

The Yellow Devil stopped the apparition by standing out of her chair and pointing at it. “I doubted myself because I didn’t fully understand what was happening.” She hissed out, returning the hand to press against the table. “Now I do.” 

Her shadow was silent for a second. Really, that’s the excuse you’re using for that? That you didn’t understand it?  

In a flash the shadow appeared in front of her, floating like gravity did not apply to it. The blank void of a face it possessed was right in hers, yet Six did not flinch from the action. 

You fully understood what you were doing. The shadow said accusatory, leaning its face slightly closer. You just don’t want to admit you were wrong.  

Six leaned her head forward slightly, her forehead brushing against its, as she looked it in the eye. “So everything he did was right?” She replied back, just as accusatory. 

The shadow started at her for a few seconds before it sighed. You’re hopeless. It said, its voice regretful and dreary as it faded back into her mind. Six sat in silence for a second after the shadow disappeared before snorting. 

It always thought it knew better, didn’t it? 

Regardless, she shook off the shadows words for they meant little now. Instead, Six decided the first thing to do was to take stock of what she had at the moment. She placed the bag on the table and opened it, reaching inside to pull out everything.  

Six first pulled out the soap from yesterday, followed by the towel and half a loaf of bread she had managed to find in the cabin. Next, she pulled out the medical supplies she had been given, including various bandages, alcohol and stitching to patch her up.  

Speaking of stitching, she also pulled out the needle from Ardy which still had enough thread to patch up another hole. After that was the blanket and in one of the pockets of the bag, she took out an important tool she had for a while. 

A knife. 

Though calling it a knife was being generous, it was more like a sharpened piece of metal with cloth wrapped around part of it to form a handle, more useful as a tool than a weapon. Then she reached into the other pocket of the bag to retrieve something she had longer than the knife, something more... nostalgic. 

A brass lighter. 

Six had found it once she had left the city, keeping it in case of emergency light which was the correct call, once she got taken to the Maw. It had guided her all the way through the dreaded ship, carrying her through the darkest moments with its warm light including when she- 

She shook her head, it wasn’t necessary to remember that. 

Regardless, the lighter had ran out of fluid some time ago now and no village either had any or didn’t want to part with it and as such, the lighter had essentially become memorabilia. She placed it aside like the other things and retrieved from the bag the final two things; a notepad and pencil. 

Drawing was one of the few things Six could use as a past time that didn’t distract her enough to let her guard down, so it became her choice when wasting time. She had started off a novice with the pencil, but over time she had learned to draw decently enough that her drawings had started to resemble reality. 

Which is what she decided to do until Renny came by. 

The girl put away all her other items first, double checking them to make sure they were all in one piece and safe. Once that was done, Six flicked through the pages of the notepad, various drawings she had done over the years flicking by.  

Finally, she landed on a blank page and she pushed her lips together, what to draw? Her mind thought back to what had happened in the past few days, seeking inspiration for what to draw. Her thoughts landed on the adult from before, the Deer and how it nearly managed to kill her. She had found over the years that drawing what had affected her would often force the thoughts from her mind, as if removing them from the headspace and onto the paper. 

That’s why he was drawn on one page because it- 

Six shook her head, focus on the adult. 

Her head switched to the paper, the pencil looming over it as she debated where to start before finally landing on the idea of the adult's massive skull.  

That was a good place to start. 

The pencil met the paper and began to draw the basic outline, the sharply angled skull and antlers taking form. She spent the next hour and a bit focusing on the drawing, her mind recalling the photo from the cabin and the encounter with it. The pencil glided along, filling in details and adding shadows and damage. The body started to take shape as well, though only the shoulders and arms as there wasn’t enough room. 

Soon enough, Six had a basic enough design that she put down the pencil to observe her work for any mistakes. There were a few, so she went about erasing them with the other end of the pencil. Once she was satisfied, Six took another look at the drawing and nodded, it was a good start. She then stood from the table and walked to the doorway to see where the Sun was at.  

The Sun was getting closer to noon, the full light of the celestial body still hidden behind the ever-present clouds. She shook her head, there was still quite a bit of time before he would come. She turned and moved back to the chair, sitting herself down again to continue drawing.  

But then, someone knocked on the wood outside. 

Six lifted her head in confusion, he wasn't here yet was he? 

Indeed, he wasn’t here and instead there was another boy present who Six barely recognized as the one who was present in the tent two days ago, when she came in before he left in a hurry. 

The boy observed with a cautious look before raising his hand in greeting. “Hey, You Six?” He asked. 

She looked the boy up and down before slowly nodding at him. “And you are?” She asked back. 

He stood slightly straighter as he gestured to himself. “Names Azzy, you uh... Might have seen me in the Boss’s tent a couple of days ago when yo-” 

Her hand raised itself to stop him. “I remember” She interrupted, having already seen him. “I also remember you being in a rush to get out.” 

Azzy rubbed the back of his head with his hand as he stood in the doorway. “Well... I could see something was about to go down, so uhh...” He answered, trailing off to indicate what he meant. 

Six nodded but said nothing, seems as though he was smart enough to know when something was about to happen. 

That still didn’t explain why he was here though. 

So, she asked. “Why are you here?” 

At that question the boy returned to reality and became slightly bashful. “Well, you see when you and the Boss had your... meeting I guess.” He started shrugging. “I didn’t get the chance to log you into the system.” He said, raising what was some kind of clipboard with a dozen papers stuck to it. 

“So I'm kind of here to make sure you are.” He finished. 

She looked at the clipboard in his hand and then back at him. “Is it really necessary?” 

The boy looked at her with an amused apologetic face. “Kind of is unfortunately, we need to do it to make sure that if anything happens with a traveler we can track them down.” He explained. “It's for safety reason, you know?” 

Six groaned internally, remembering the same explanation from the guard when she first came about it. Still, Six knew if she didn’t comply there was a chance she would be thrown out and in her current state, that wasn’t the best idea. 

With a sigh she looked at the boy once more. “Is this going to take long?” She asked, not wanting Renny to come whilst she was doing this. 

Thankfully Azzy shook his head. “Nah, it’s just some basic stuff I need to take and then I'll be out of your hair.” He said with a lazy smile. 

Six nodded and then there was a moment of silence as both simply stayed where they were. 

He then looked around at the hut. “Can I come in then or...?” 

She released a stream of air from her nose and gestured impatiently for him to sit on the other chair. He quickly entered, pulling out the chair and sitting himself down and placing the clipboard on the table. 

“Alright then...” He started with a strained groan as he retrieved a pencil from his pockets. “Let’s get started.” 

He then placed the pencil on the paper and looked up at her. “So just to confirm your name is Six?” 

The girl in question rolled her eyes at the boy but nevertheless nodded at him. 

Azzy scribbled something down quickly before lifting his gaze up again. “Age?” 

Six was silent for a second. “Sixteen.” She replied, having to actually think about how long it had been. 

The boy nodded his head from side to side at that as he scribbled it down. “As old as Alle then...” She heard him mutter under his breath. 

He then continued to ask her more miscellaneous questions, mostly relating to her physical appearance, where she had been and whether or not she had contracted anything in the past few weeks, to which she quickly answered no to. 

Then, he asked her an interesting question. 

“Occupation?” He asked. 

She raised an eyebrow at that, her occupation? She didn’t really have one, not really anyway. Still, she answered the boy. “Traveler, work for hire sometimes.” 

He started to write down her answer but then stopped suddenly and twisted his head around suspiciously, as if looking for anyone around him. Six narrowed her eyes at the boy, what was he looking for? He then stopped and leaned himself over and began whispering to her.  

“I may have overheard something from the Boss when he was talking, saying that you were the Yellow Devil.” He said quietly, his voice curious.  

“I just wanna know...” He leaned in slightly further. “Is that true?” 

Six tilted her head in amusement at the boy, was everyone this curious about her legend? 

She decided to indulge him slightly, she had enough time. “What do you think?” She asked him, mirth in her voice 

Azzy was confused at the girl’s words for a second before he gained a more thoughtful look. “I mean... you certainly fit the bill for it, what with the raincoat and the mystery you got hanging around you.” 

Six tried her best not to laugh at the boy. “Mystery?” She asked. 

He nodded. “Yeah, a lot of kids here are wondering just who you are ever since you came here, asking a lot of questions about you...”  

A sound of curiosity left her throat at that, before she decided to lean herself over the table, causing the boy to lean back slightly. 

“And if I was?” She asked, her voice now slightly lower, colder.

The boy looked at her before nervously swallowing. “I’d ask what the Yellow Devil was doing here.” 

Six did not move for a second but then shook her head side to side, it was a good question to ask. So, she leaned back again into her seat and gave him a look. “Just traveling, that’s all.” 

Azzy looked confused for a second before his eyes widened slightly at her, he was obviously not expecting that. He was quiet for a few seconds before he continued writing from where he had left off. After a few seconds, he put the pencil back into his pocket and looked at the clipboard before looking at her with a tired smile. 

“Well that was everything I needed from you; I’d imagine you’re staying with us for a while now huh?”  

She frowned at the boy’s assumption. “No, only staying for another day then I'm leaving.” She replied. 

He looked at her with a confused expression at her answer but said nothing and instead gave her a ‘Thank you’ before turning to leave. Six however, wanted to ask a single question.  

“Hey.” She called out, causing the boy to stumble in the doorway slightly before looking back at her confused.  

“Does he talk about me?” She asked, lowering her eyes into glare to let the boy know she wasn’t wanting any fake answers or lies. 

Azzy looked around nervously, obviously not wanting to answer her question but eventually sighed and looked at her.  

“He does, like... a lot actually.” He answered uncomfortably before looking at her. “But he seems to not like you a bunch.”  

“Something happen between you two?” He asked, though Six could tell he wasn’t expecting an answer. 

Six pulled a face at the boy’s curiosity. “Something like that.” She answered vaguely. 

He said nothing at that and instead turned to leave, the sound of his shoes crunching dirt making it obvious. But then, Six heard him talk to someone, but even with her trained hearing she couldn’t make out what he was saying. 

But she could make out the other person's voice...

And their identity was confirmed when they appeared in the doorway. 

Renny stepped into the doorway, the sunlight keeping his front in shadow, yet she could tell he was smiling.  

“Heya Six.” He greeted, taking in the hut once more before his eyes wandered back to her. “How you doing this fine day?” 

Six wanted to sigh at his optimism regarding the weather but decided against it. “Just fine.” She answered, despite the dreams that pestered her. 

He nodded at her enthusiastically. “Good to hear, good to hear.” He replied, before pointing his thumb behind him with a raised eyebrow. 

“Did Azzy just visit you just a second ago?” He inquired, voice filled with confusion. “He didn’t seem to want to talk about it.” 

A slight wave of confusion went through her at that statement but she didn’t show it and instead answered him. “He did, wanted to fill in some system about me being here.” 

Renny lifted his head up in realization at her answer. “Ah yeah, the logbook, I forget about that sometimes, even though we had to do it when we first came here.” 

Six nodded at him, though was still wondering why the boy hadn’t wanted to him about his visit. 

Regardless of that, Renny once more pointed out behind him with his thumb. “You ready to head out?” 

She peered slightly behind him, enabling her to see it wasn’t quite noon yet. “Aren’t you a bit early?” 

Renny nodded at her question. “Maybe, but I don’t think we want to be caught without a table, do we?”  

Six nodded back at him, it was good initiative to think of that.  So, she stood from her chair and went over to the other room, intent to collect her raincoat and bag. As she did, Renny talked to her again. 

“How you been finding it, sleeping in Lez’s place?” He asked, seemingly curious. 

“No different from sleeping anywhere else.” She replied in a deadpan tone of voice, as she pulled her raincoat on. 

The boy released a curious ‘hmm’ at that. “Yeah, I guess that makes sense, you probably don’t feel the same way sleeping here like most of other folk would.” He explained casually.  

Six only took a slight interest in what he said, though it did make her wonder just how far the hatred for this boy went. She then picked up her backpack as she did not feel comfortable leaving it behind for anyone to steal without her knowing. 

Renny took notice of this however. “Sure you want to take that with you?” He asked with a raised eyebrow. 

She nodded at him. “I’m not letting anyone take my stuff.” 

He seemed to frown at her reply but said nothing of it, instead turning and gesturing for her to follow. Six did, following him outside where her feet met slightly warm dirt, as they made their way to wherever this place served food was. 

She would be glad if the food was worth it.

Mono paced the tent with a stressed look beneath his mask. 

She was up to something, he knew she was, the only question was what...

Ever since Six had come back his thoughts had become erratic, stressed, anxious, all because of her returning. Because he knew she was trouble, a threat, a monster and all he had to do was find a way to release that truth from her. 

Still, it brought paranoia to his mind thinking about it. He knew Six wasn’t dumb, far from it. She was a cunning individual after all, managing to find ways to solve problems he didn’t and was even able to trick him all that time back then and even now.  

His paranoia was also not helped by the fact that she was the Yellow Devil. 

Azzy had only recently come back and told him about his encounter with the girl, how she had basically confirmed that she was the Yellow Devil, the rumor of a monster that patrolled the world. He also learned that she sold herself as ‘work for hire’ which made him wonder what she had been up to the past seven years.  

His thoughts came to a halt however, as the tent curtains were parted and Alle came through. He stopped his pacing, nodding at his friend.  

“Alle.” He greeted, turning to her with his hands behind his back. “How are you doing?” 

Alle nodded back at him with a small smile. “I’m doing alright, thanks.” She replied, but then her face fell into one of concern.  

Mono noticed the frown and leaned forward slightly in concern. “Something wrong?” 

She looked up at him and turned to the tent entrance. “I just caught up on what happened with the scavenger Brothers.” She explained, placing a hand under her chin. “I’m concerned about them finding an adult out there when we had scouts already investigate the place.” Her head then turned back to him with a concerned look in her brown eyes. 

But then, she noticed something in his eye as he stared at her. 

Guilt and regret. 

Alle felt her face pull into one of confusion at the look in the boy’s eyes, why did he appear so... remorseful at her words?

But the longer she stared, the more she started to realize why he looked so guilty. 

Then, it came to her and her eyes widened to the size of dinner plates, before they shrunk into a suspicious glare.  

“You knew ...” She uttered out, her voice quiet and slightly accusatory. 

The boy said nothing, but he seemed suddenly unable to meet her gaze and turned it upwards, which with his height made it impossible to see his eyes behind his mask. 

But she didn’t need to...

“You knew there was an adult there...” She stated once more, slowly walking closer to the boy. “The scouts came back and told you as much, but you didn’t tell anyone else.”  

She stopped in front of him, starting up at his mask. “Even me .” She said with disbelief. 

Alle grabbed the teen’s shoulder, not too hard but enough to force him to look at her. 

“You knowingly sent them there with an adult, to a place where they could have died.” She accused, looking into his face with a furious expression. 

He was silent for but a moment.

“Yes.” He finally said, regret in his voice yet she could hear... anger? Mixed along with it. 

She stared at him in disbelief, why would he do that? It was so out of character for him to do something like that. 

So, she voiced her incredible confusion. “Why...? Why would you do that?”  

Mono regarded her for but a second before his eyes took on one of anger. “Because of her.”  

Alle stared at him like he had gone mad. “That girl?!” She shouted in incredulity. “You sent them there because of her?” 

He shook his head and forced himself back to his full height, which made her let go of his shoulder. “You don’t understand Alle, Six is dangerous, I need to-” 

Oh no no no, she wasn’t hearing this again! 

She pointed her finger directly into the center of his bag making the paper crumble under it as he suddenly became silent.  

“Don’t start with this again!” She warned, her voice switching back to a hardened yet rage filled tone. “If this girl was that dangerous, you would have thrown them out at the first sign of trouble.”  

Alle then pulled her finger from his face and switched it to his chest. “Instead, YOU decided to let her stay and fabricated a reason for her to go with the scavenger brothers and for what?!” She asked incredulously. 

“Because she's a threat!” Mono replied back, having seemingly found his voice again this time with renewed anger. 

“If she was a threat then why haven’t you dealt with it like one?!” She replied. “Lez was a threat and you dealt with it like one!” 

“You investigated, you prepared, you dealt with it.” She stated raising a finger on her other hand for each point.  

“But this...” She drawled out, removing her finger from his chest to gesture around her. “This isn’t for the village, she isn’t a threat to it...” She returned her finger to point at him. 

“This is just for you, for your own selfish reasons.”  

Mono stared at her for a second before his eyes narrowed into slits. “You don’t know what she did.” He warned, his voice becoming low and dangerous. 

“Because you won’t tell me what she did.” She retorted, her voice just as dangerous. 

They stared at each other for a good few seconds, both of them not saying a word as they looked into each other's hardened eyes. Finally, Alle sighed and turned away from the boy, rubbing her eyes in annoyance as she did. 

“I’m not dealing with this right now.” She said, her voice sounding tired as she looked back at him. “We’ll continue this later when you’ve calmed down.” 

With that, she walked and left the tent, leaving Mono alone with a mixture of emotions in his head. But the one that stood out was still his anger as he gritted his teeth. 

“Six...” He hissed out, she was causing him misery again even when she wasn’t here and involved. 

Or maybe... she was. 

He shook his head and returned to his pacing. 

What was she planning?

Six felt the Sun batter her with its burning rays, annoying her to no end. 

Why was this the one day that the clouds decided to not fully block the Sun? 

Still, she ignored it to the best of her ability, it wasn’t the first time she got caught with a raincoat on in blistering heat. 

The top point of the Eastern side had proven that. 

Instead, she continued to walk alongside Renny as they made their way across the village, passing by the storage shed as they did. Renny had told her that his brothers would be waiting outside the place they were going to get food in hopes of getting a seat before it got packed, due to the place being one of the more popular places to eat in the villages. 

Though he also reluctantly said there was only two others place to eat when she asked him. 

They approached a bundle of houses and huts once more and squeezed in-between them, walking through the makeshift alleyway until they came upon a slightly wide space that housed the building in question. 

The building wasn’t actually that big, only being slightly bigger than the hut Six was staying in. However, the area around the hut was large and filled with various tables, chairs and benches, many of which were already occupied by other kids. Many of the furnishings were covered by makeshift umbrellas and drapes that ran from the central building to the surrounding huts and houses, preventing them from getting wet. 

Six could also see through the open windows of the building many different fires, some under grills and others naked with food roasting above them, the smoke from them rising slowly above them and filling the air with a natural smokey smell. 

They continued to approach the building until Renny stopped just outside of the tables, scanning the outside for his brothers. Eventually, he saw a large hand slowly waving back and forth through the other tables and gestured to Six to follow. They made their way through the tables, until they came upon Netty and Stub, seated a table large enough to fit at least six kids that was in the ‘corner’ so to speak. 

Renny approached and greeted them before sitting down, Six following suit by sitting down on the same side as him, though she still kept her distance. She took off her bag and placed it under her seat, she then hesitated for a second before also lowering her hood.  

There was silence for but a second, the sound of other kids talking around them before Renny began talking again. 

“So, what's the Menu today? I didn’t get enough time to look before I left.” Renny asked excitedly, Six noticing that his feet were slightly bouncing in anticipation. 

The tallest of them smiled slightly at his brother's excitement. “It’s stew today Renny, you know it is.” He said, finishing his sentence with a small laugh. 

Renny said nothing, but the smile on his face was one of pure happiness that even Six found difficult to not smile at. Her thoughts then turned to what the boy had just said about what they were having. 

Stew huh? 

That... actually sounded nice, it had been a while since she had stew.  

Especially if the boy's reaction was anything to go by. 

Speaking of which... 

Six turned to the boy with an inquisitive look. “Is it really that good?” She asked, raising an eyebrow. “You seem to be... overreacting.” 

Renny turned to her with both a smile and look of disbelief. “You kidding? It’s the best!” He exclaimed, turning to the building and watching a figure that was cooking. “I don’t know how Lace does it, but his food is always the best especially his stew.” 

The Yellow Devil merely turned to his brothers with a raised eyebrow, to which they only gave shrugs, seems they didn’t understand his excitement either. 

Six mentally shrugged, she would take his word for it then.  

After their brief conversation a girl with tanned skin approached them, wearing an apron and upon closer inspection possessed dark blue eyes with blonde hair.  

The girl smiled as she noticed the brothers. “I had a feeling you’d be down here today.” She said cheerfully. She then turned to Renny and nodded. “I take it you’re having the usual?” 

Renny smiled widely and nodded. “You certainly know it Cindy, though we’ll be needing an extra serving for our guest here.” He said, gesturing to the girl next him.  

The now named Cindy turned to Six with a curious smile. “Oh? I don’ think I’ve seen you before, are you new here?” She inquired. 

She nodded at that. “Traveler, stopped here for supplies.” She stated simply. 

“Shes the one that saved me and my brothers from that adult yesterday.” Renny added much to Six’s annoyance, she would rather not have him tell more people about what happened. 

But the girl’s face flashing with realization made her realize otherwise. “I heard about that from the guards.” She then turned to Six with a relieved smile. 

“You’re the one that saved them... Six was it?” She asked with a hopeful smile. 

Though she didn’t show it, Six was mildly annoyed that her encounter with the adult was already being spread around very quickly. Regardless, she nodded. “That’s me.” 

That made the girl’s eyes flash with glee and gratitude. “Well, I’d just like to say thank you for saving them, especially since you didn’t know them.” Her face then shifted into one of sympathy. “And even more so since you nearly died for it, from what I’ve heard anyway.” 

Six resisted the urge to tell the girl that her injury was not due to her saving them and instead merely nodded at her thanks.  

Cindy then smiled. “And you know what? To thank you even more I won’t charge you for the meal, its on the house.” She said graciously. 

The girl in yellow blinked at that and Renny looked up at the girl with a hesitant look. “You sure Cindy? I could easily pay for her.” He asked. 

The waitress merely laughed and shook her head. “I’m sure Renny, one bowl of stew ain’t gonna change anything, especially compared to nearly losing our most... enthusiastic customer.” She finished with an amused grin. 

Renny turned his head in embarrassment at that, nervously scratching his head and causing his brothers to chuckle at him, even Six couldn't resist a smile at the teasing. After the small laugher died down the girl returned to a more casual smile. “So... four servings of stew, you wanting anything else?” She asked. 

The eldest brother looked back at them for a second. “A pitcher of water as well, please” He kindly asked, something which Six was grateful for, given the sudden hot day. 

Cindy nodded at him and the boy reached into his pocket and pulled what appeared to be three small discs and a slightly smaller one that he handed to the girl who briefly looked at them for a second before smiling. 

“Alright that seems good, your food will be about ten minutes.” She said before giving them a slight wave and turning back to the building and walking. 

The table then fell into a comfortable silence before Six turned to Renny.  

“How many people did you tell about what happened?” She asked. 

Renny looked to her with a raised eyebrow. “Only the Boss and Alle, that’s all.” He stated, nodding his head to the side. “The guards only know a little bit of what happened, it's doubtful they know about... you know.” He gestured vaguely. “That.” 

Six nodded at that and then sighed, it was at least something. 

Once more a comfortable silence fell on the table as they simply listened to the sounds of the other kids talking. It was broken however, by of all people Netty turning to Six to ask her something. 

“Say... Six?” He started with a curious tone that made Six turn to him. 

“You said you were a traveler, right?” He inquired. 

The girl in yellow nodded at the younger boy. 

“Where exactly have you traveled? You seem like you’ve seen quite a bit, what with all the scars and all.” He said with a curious tone, for once not suspicious of the girl. 

Six sighed mentally, seems the questions were finally going to be asked, though thankfully they didn’t seem to be interested in her powers. 

That was good, it meant she could avoid some of the more personal questions that would come up, So, she answered him. “The Eastern side.” She answered. 

Renny nodded at that. “Ah... Like Lanu, she said it took a few years to travel the entire Eastern coast and I’d imagine you two have similar experiences with what-” 

She interrupted him by raising her hand. “Not the Eastern coast, The entire Eastern side.” She clarified. 

That made every one of the brothers stare at her with slightly opened mouths, none of them expecting that answer.  

Finally, Renny found his voice and spoke, “T-the-” He stuttered, stopping himself to control his words. “The entire Eastern side?” He questioned, his voice filled with disbelief.  

Six found all the brother's reaction slightly amusing and allowed herself a smug smirk. “Correct.” 

Netty shook his head. “That... would’ve taken so many years to do, more than the Eastern coast.” He said incredulously. 

She nodded at him. “It did.” 

Stub tilted his head slightly and narrowed his eyes. “How many years?” He asked, his voice still calm but the boredom long gone. 

Six tilted her head up slightly in thought before answering. “Just over six years, many of them spent in forests.” 

Renny shook his head slightly. “You spent six years traveling the entire Eastern side?” He raised his hand in disbelief. “Why?” 

The girl gave a small shrug. “I don’t enjoy staying in one place for long and traveling the entire Eastern side was something never done before.” 

He looked at her for a second before realization came to his eyes. “Thats why you’re going to the West side isn't it?” He asked in shock. “Because you’ve explored the entire Eastern side?” 

She only nodded at him. 

Netty looked at her with a look of shock and awe. “You’re insane.” He spoke, surprise in his voice. “The West side is supposed to be WORSE than the East.” 

Six shrugged at the boy. “I’ve seen a lot of things on my journey, I doubt anything there will surprise.” 

The tallest one raised an eyebrow. “What have you seen?”  

She thought about that question for a few seconds, what had she seen? 

She had seen monsters and places that defied reality, their forms making the laws of the universe their slaves. She had seen the worst of atrocities committed to brother and sister all in the name of survival. She had seen and partaken in things that would stain her hands and soul forever and had seen what happened when a person was pushed to their limits. 

Fair to say, she had seen a lot. 

But that wasn’t an answer. 

Instead, she shrugged at him. “I’ve seen a lot of things; you’d have to be more specific.” She told him. 

Netty raised his hand slightly. “What’s the weirdest thing you’ve seen?” 

That... was an unusual question. 

Still, she thought about it for a second before sighing. “Saw an adult who could rip their own head off and reattach at will, used it to trick kids.” She explained.

That was often one that Six didn't like to remember, given the disgusting sounds and sights that adult had produced every time it had done its 'trick.'

Netty pulled a face at that. “That is... pretty weird.” 

“Yeah.” Stub said in agreement. 

“Regardless of that...” Renny interrupted, looking at Six with both confusion and concern. “You’re still going to travel after leaving here? Even after six years of traveling?” 

Six shook her head. “Like I said, sitting in one spot doesn’t make me feel safe and it only invites disaster.” She stated, explaining her reasoning. 

“I get that but...” He shook his head slightly. “I don’t know it just sounds....” He trailed off, trying to find the word that suited the sentence. 

“Miserable.” Stub finished, his eyes one of sympathy. 

Six felt herself avert her eyes for an unknown reason. “Perhaps...” She trailed off slightly staring slightly at the trees that towered over the village before turning her eyes back to them. “But it's better than the alternative.” 

Renny seemed to frown at that and Six felt herself become slightly annoyed at him, did he really think she needed his sympathy? 

But before she could do anything, Netty seemed to become distracted by something and stood from his seat, attempting to see something behind them. “Is that...?”  

Her and Renny both turned, looking back at where he was looking and seeing a figure trying to navigate the tables, seemingly trying to look for something.  

And both of them recognized who it was. 

“Greeney!” Renny exclaimed, waving his hand and causing the boy in question to look up from their search and wander over to them with a tired smile. 

“Heya Renny, how you and your brothers doing...” Greeney started but trailed off once he noticed Six sitting with them. 

“Hello strange girl I met at the gates and who has history with the Boss.” He said with confusion before turning to Renny. “Why is she with you?” 

Renny smiled and nodded his head at the girl in question. “Six was the one who saved me from the adult at the cabin, didn’t you hear about it?” 

Realization dawned in Greeney’s eyes at that but the confusion was still there. “Yeah I did hear about that, you did that?” He asked turning to Six, who merely nodded in response. 

“Hang on.” Netty said, interrupting their conversation. “You know Six?” 

“Not really.” Greeney replied. “I was just the one who greeted her at the gates and escorted her to the Boss.” 

“Well in that case...” Renny started, pointing at Six then Greeney. “Six meet Greeney....” He then switched the finger back to Six. “Greeney meet Six.”  

Six rolled her eyes at the introduction, not seeing the point in it whilst the boy sighed and opened his mouth to speak. 

“My name is-” 

“Greeney!” A voice interrupted, sounding much younger than everyone else's. 

Six felt herself nearly jump at the new voice and turned to its source, finding a younger boy hugging Greeney’s leg. 

The guard let out a relieved smile and patted the boy's head. “There you are Nev, I told you not to wander off.” He scolded, though only lightly. 

Nev merely let out an innocent smile at him. “I know, but I wanted to find an empty seat for us since you’re so slow!” 

That caused the brothers to snort at the younger child's cheekiness, whilst the guard gained a look of indignation on his face as he stared at Nev. 

Renny then leaned into the table and gestured to him. “You looking after Nev again?” He asked with a smile. 

The guard looked at him and nodded. “Aye, Jess is on a long shift today, so I said I’d look after him.” 

Stub let a smug little grin come to his usual monotone face. “Getting awfully comfy with Jess.” 

Greeney spun his head so fast to the boy that Six swore she heard it crack and despite the cloth around his face she could tell he was embarrassed. 

“I-I don’t know what you mean.” He stuttered slightly, his eyes darting around. 

Renny shook his head with his own grin plastered on it. “Sure, sure whatever you say.” He said unconvinced. 

The guard merely shook his head and mumbled something before looking back at Nev. Or he would have, had the boy been there. 

He looked around confused and concerned again as to where the boy had gone now. Meanwhile, Six felt someone tug on her raincoat on her right causing her to look at the source and finding it to be the boy in question. The boy looked up at the yellow clad girl with a curious smile that made Six raise an eyebrow, though below the surface she was annoyed at the proximity of the child. 

“Are you the new person that Greeney was talking about?” Nev asked, his voice tingling with a sense of excitement. 

Six resisted the urge to frown at the new interaction but forced it down and instead nodded at the boy. 

The young child eyed the girl up and down before smiling excitedly. “I was right, you are cool looking!” He declared. 

That made Six pause in her thoughts as the boy's words were none she had heard before. 

He thought she was... cool looking? 

She looked down at the boy with a confused expression. “I’m... cool looking?” She asked, seemingly unable to accept what he said. 

Nev nodded rapidly at her. “Yeah! You've got this cool raincoat-” He said gesturing to the article of clothing. “-That’s all damaged and stuff, I bet it got damaged from fighting monsters, right?”  

Six wanted to answer the boy but he continued talking. “And you’ve got all these cool looking scars on your arms, I bet they’re from fighting monsters too!” He said pointing at them, which made Six look at them slightly in confusion. 

They weren’t that obvious were they? Most of them couldn’t even be seen because of the raincoat. 

But the boy continued to talk before she could ask.   

“And your eyes...” He said, leaning in slightly which caused Six to become slightly uncomfortable. “They’re such a bright and scary colour! I bet no one messes with you, do they?” He spoke, his words filled with admiration and excitement. 

Six wanted to respond to everything the child had said, but Greeney came over before she could and took Nev by the hand, giving her an apologetic smile.  

“Sorry ‘bout that.” He said before turning to Nev. “What have Jess and I told you about just approaching people and talking?”  

The boy pouted and let an annoyed grumble. “To introduce myself first...” He replied quietly. 

“Exactly.” The guard said, nodding his head before looking back at them. “Well, me and Nev better find a table before they’re all took up so we’ll see you later, ok?” 

The brothers nodded or gave thumbs up and waved them goodbye, Greeney and Nev doing the same as they walked through the tables and chairs trying to find a spot. Though Six noticed as they waved that the boy directed most of it at her.  

When they were out of sight, Renny turned to her with a perplexed look in his eyes. “You ok Six? You seem... uncomfortable.” He asked with slight concern. 

Six simply turned to him and shook his head. “I’m fine. ” She answered before turning her whole body back to the table. “I’ve just... never heard anything like that before.”  

He raised an eyebrow at that. “What? Someone saying that you were cool looking?”  

She nodded. 

The boy and his brothers seemed to once more look at Six with a slight pang of concern, though it quickly faded and they went back to their usual expressions as they once more talked. 

Six for the most part ignored their conversations, usually only joining in if one of them directly asked her something to which she would often give varying answers to. Eventually, enough time passed and the girl from before, Cindy Six remembered, came over with a wooden tray with four full bowls and a small container of water with wooden cups. 

She placed one in front of each of them along with a wooden spoon and smiled, telling them to enjoy their meal before walking off.  

The stew in front of her was very much appealing to her senses, the smell of slowly cooked meat and gravy made her stomach growl slightly and even the vegetables seemed to smell good. Though Six admitted she had been forced to grow accustomed to eating the damn things over the years. 

Renny dug into the stew without a second thought, hungrily forcing spoonfuls into his mouth whilst his brothers dug in at a much slower pace. 

Six looked at the stew before finally taking a spoonful of the dish. Immediately her eyes widened in surprise, the taste was indescribable, it simply tasted... amazing, like no stew, soup or broth she ever had before. 

She began to dig into the meal properly, savoring the taste of what was arguably one of the best meals she ever had. At one point she swore she could see Renny smirking at her from the corner of her eye, but she couldn’t tell. 

Eventually she finished the stew and gave a satisfied sigh, that had been... enjoyable 

The rest of the brothers had finished as well, though Renny had finished well before them. They all sat in relative silence, the brothers occasionally making small talk that Six didn’t engage with. However, after a few minutes of them talking she noticed Stub breaking off from their conversation as something seemed to catch his attention. 

Renny and Netty also noticed his distracted look and Renny turned to look behind him once more, raising his eyebrow before his eyes widened slightly as he noticed what Stub was looking at. 

“What’s Alle doing here? Usually she’d be with the Boss.” He said confused. 

That made Six turn to look behind her and indeed the bodyguard to Mono was on the outer edges of the tables, seemingly deciding whether to enter the place. Something Six noticed however was that she appeared.... annoyed, angry even, like something had completely ruined her day. The girl let her gaze scan across the tables and chairs, seemingly looking for an empty spot. 

But then, they landed on Six...

And Alle’s expression became one of complete fury. 

The girl turned to Six and began walking towards her, the girl's posture very much agitated. The Brother’s expressions all switched to ones of confusion and concern, wondering what was happening.  

But Six? 

Six merely sighed and prepared herself. 

Time to see what this girl wanted. 

Chapter Text

Alle approached the table with hastened steps, her bare feet kicking up dirt with the pace she was walking at. Soon enough, she came to be in front of Six, who merely looked up at the girl with a raised eyebrow and an annoyed expression. 

The girl merely returned her look with a glare, folding her arms across her chest as she regarded Six for a moment before speaking. 

“Are you... Six ?” She spoke, her voice low with a tinge of venom and anger coursing through it. 

Six looked at her for a second, her face unreadable. “Maybe.” She replied vaguely, tilting her head up at the girl. “What is it to you?” 

The girl scowled at her and leaned her head slightly closer to Six. “It means you’re the one who’s been causing problems for us.” She said accusatory. 

That made Six pull her face into a frown, her eyes leering at the girl. “I haven’t done anything.” She replied back, her voice becoming hardened in response to the girl's accusation. 

Alle snorted at the girl and began to walk around the girl to the other side of the table, her eyes never leaving Six, as her and the brothers did the same. She reached the other side of the table next to Netty and pulled the empty chair out next to him, dragging it to the end of the table so that she was closer to Six than the rest. 

The bodyguard then seated herself in what many would call a casual fashion, but Six knew from the way she sat that she was preparing for something. The girl then leaned forward, her face one of restrained fury, the focused, cold anger that was worse than the anger that burned bright. 

“You’d like to think that wouldn’t' you?” She started, her voice levelled yet threatening. “But even since you’ve come here you’ve caused nothing but trouble.”  

Out of the corner of her eye Six could see that Renny seemed shocked at the girl’s words and moved to speak, but Six beat him to it. 

“Really?” Six asked sarcastically, shaking her head in amusement. “Let me guess, this is about Mono, isn’t it?” She asked. 

It didn’t take a genius to work out what the girl was angry about. 

The girl’s face shifted briefly, as if trying to contain something before it returned to the restrained one she had before. 

“No, this is about you and all the problems you’ve caused.” she stated once more. 

Six rolled her eyes at the girl and her accusations. “And what problems have I caused?” 

The girl leaned in closer, her eyes narrowing at Six as she spoke in a low tone. 

“Ever since you’ve come here, Mono’s done nothing but talk about you, about what you’ve done to him and how much it hurt him.” She explained. 

“And his... obsession over you has caused nothing but problems.” She said in a whisper meant only for her. 

Six snorted at the girl. “And do you know why I did those things?” She asked. 

The girl said nothing, instead continuing to stare at her, yet Six could tell there was uncertainty in her eyes. 

She smiled knowingly at that look. 

“He hasn’t told you, has he?” Six asked, her voice taking on a rare mischievous tone. 

Alle said nothing, but Six knew she was right. 

As such she let a small chuckle escape her lips at the thought.  

“Aren’t you supposed to be the bodyguard for him?” She asked with fake innocence. “I thought he would have told you everything.” 

The bodyguard in question let a small growl rise in her throat but managed to restrain the full thing.  

“I might not know what you did.” She admitted, raising her brown eyes to look directly at Six’s red ones. “But I know whatever you did had no good reason to be done...” she said, her hand rising to point at Six. 

“You just did it to hurt him.” 

Six stared for a second dubiously, before letting an angry and amused snort escape her. 

“You don’t know anything then...” She told the girl, leaning in to whisper the next few words.  

“If you did then you wouldn’t be friends with him at all.” 

The second the words escaped her lips the girl immediately pulled her head back, her posture suddenly becoming serious as Six herself did the same. Alle regarded her for a second, a look of anger on her face as she stared at the girl in yellow. 

“You shut the hell up.” She told Six, her grip on the chair becoming iron. “You don’t know anything about Mono.”  

She rolled her eyes at her with an annoyed expression. “And what do you know about him?” She asked sarcastically. 

Alle let an amused snort escape her. “More than you, considering I’ve known him for over six years.” She informed with snark. 

Six raised an eyebrow at that, six years? He must have met her after they...  

She didn’t really know what to call it, but it didn’t matter anyway. 

“And yet in six years hes never told you about me, has he?” She replied with a smile. 

The girl returned her smile with her own. “Maybe that’s because you weren’t important enough to ever be brought up.” She replied sarcastically.

Six let her eyes drift at that. “If that was the case...” She started leaning back in the chair slightly. “Then how am I causing problems?” 

Alle let out a frustrated growl at that and slammed her clenched hand into the wooden chair just hard enough to cause it to shake. The brothers recoiled slightly at the action and Six took note of the fact that some of the other kids were starting to look at them. 

The bodyguard to Mono seemed to calm herself and locked eyes with Six once more. “I should’ve expected this from the Yellow Devil.” 

That made Six narrow her eyes...

As the Brother's eyes did the opposite and grew to the size of dinner plates. 

Renney turned to her with a shocked expression, fear and confusion present within it yet Six ignored him for now.  

“So he has told you something then?” Six asked with a tilt of her head.  

The girl nodded at her. “He told me how much of monster you were, or at least from what I could gather that’s what he meant.” She said with a smirk 

Six let a snarl come to her face at that word. 

Monster... 

Even after all these years, that was still the word he used for her? 

“You don’t know anything about me.” She retorted threateningly. “Least of all anything that makes me... that.” 

The girl snorted. “And I’m supposed to believe that? From the Yellow Devil?” 

Six regarded her with a look of contempt. “And I’m supposed to believe anything coming from a bootlicker?” 

The girl stood from her chair instantly and so did Six, both of their expressions filled with anger yet also still unreadable. 

“You don’t know anything about what me and Mono went through, what he and I did to make this place.” Alle spat out, her posture leaning into one of aggression. 

“You’re right I don’t know.” Six replied, her eyes narrowed to pinpoints. “And I don’t want to know what a person like him could do in seven years.” 

The girl narrowed her own eyes at that and seemed to think about something for a second before responding. 

“What the hell did you do to him all that time ago?” She questioned, growling out the words. 

Six merely let lips fall back into a frown. “What happened between us, remains between us...” She declared, pointing at the girl. “You’re not involved in this.”  

Alle moved herself closer to the girl, their faces inches apart. “It involves me when my best friend is losing his mind over some random girl in a raincoat.” 

Best friend? oof, looks like you’ve been replaced Six, not like you shouldn’t have expected it to happen but still... Her shadow unhelpfully commented. 

Six pushed herself closer to the girl, their faces nearly touching. “You’re his best friend? You must be a terrible one then, if he hasn’t told you anything.” 

The girl growled and her hand slowly reached for the sword mounted to her back. Six let her body fall into a natural fighting stance, her fists slowly clenching and unclenching in anticipation. Whilst in any ever scenario Six would have no doubts about winning, the injury on her side was still present and as such, her opinion about winning was not high as she would like. 

But before either could act a pair of hands emerged between them and pushed them aside, creating space as Renny shoved himself between them. 

“Alright, enough of this!” He declared, his face one of resolve. 

“Renny, don’t get involv-” Alle started but was interrupted by the boy. 

“Both of you are causing a scene.” He hissed out between clenched teeth, nudging his head to the side. 

The pair turned their heads and indeed many of the other kids who were eating had stopped, instead choosing to stare at them with widened eyes of concern or narrowed eyes of suspicion. Even the supposed owner, Lace, was sticking his head out of the windows trying to understand what was going on. 

Both of them returned their gazes to each other and Renny removed his hands from them and sighed. 

“I get that you’re both mad at the moment and I don’t know what about.” He said with uncertainty. “But whatever it is, you can’t just hurt each other over it, you’ll get nothing from that.”  

The bodyguard stared at the boy for a few seconds then let out a reluctant sigh as she removed the hand from her sword as Six did the same and let her posture return to a calmer one. 

Alle then nursed her temples for a second before turning to Six with an uncertain look in her eyes. 

“What happened between you two to cause all... this?” She once more asked, though this time there was no hostility or threats, simply a girl asking a question. 

Six stared at the girl for a second, seemingly debating something for a second before sighing. “Something that made me see hes not as great as you think he is.” She simply replied, her voice calm, yet somewhat...sorrowful.

The girl seemed to question her words for a second before some sort of realization happened and the girl mutely nodded. She then turned her head to the brothers and nodded before looking over at Six again, doing another take of her and reluctantly nodding at her before she left them and disappeared between the houses. 

Tha silence that followed her leaving was deafening and Six sat herself down, a weighty sigh leaving her lips as she closed her eyes for but a moment. 

Why was nothing simple here? 

Regardless, she opened her eyes once more and saw the brothers along with the rest of the patrons once more sitting down, though many of them sent glances her way. The Brothers themselves simply stared at her, very much trying to process what had just happened. 

Finally, Renny broke the silence once more. 

“You’re...” He started, trying to understand exactly what he was saying. “You’re the Yellow Devil?”  

Six regarded him and his brothers for a moment before nodding. “I am.”  

The boy was silent, opening his mouth as if attempting to speak again but instead merely shut it and instead looked at the table with a confused expression. 

Netty however, spoke up instead. 

“That’s why you didn’t want to reveal your powers...” He spoke, narrowing his eyes at her. “Because you’re the...?”  

Six nodded her head side to side, he was half right. 

Renny finally seemed to finally regain his voice and regarded her with a concerned yet absolutely confused expression. “I... I have so many questions.” He stated. 

She sighed mentally and raised an eyebrow. “Such as?” 

The boy lifted his hand in disbelief. “I don’t know! Like... why is the Yellow Devil sitting next to me at all? He asked. 

Netty raised his own hand for a question, gesturing to her. “Why are you the Yellow Devil?”  

“And is every part of the legend true?” Stub also asked, his usually calm eyes narrowing. 

Six mulled over the questions in her head, a debate occurring within. It would be so easy to say no to their questions, to tell them that her personal life was nobody else’s to know like she had done to so many before. But at the same time these brothers had shown her respect and had treated her to something that she hadn’t had for a long time. Not only that, but the boy had intervened on her behalf again, saving her the trouble of brawling with the girl. 

So, she would answer them, but she wouldn’t reveal everything.  

Some things are better left unsaid. 

She turned to Renny first, addressing him with cold eyes that spoke of hard truth. 

“I’m here because I'm traveling to the West side, the Eastern side has become noticeably more... quiet since I’ve been there.” She explained. 

The boy’s eyes widened, clearly not expecting her to answer though they quickly reverted to being confused. “Wait quieter? How does the entire Eastern side become quieter?” He inquired. 

She didn’t answer his question, not directly anyway and instead turned to address Stub. “Most of the parts about me are true, though some of it is.... exaggerated.” She said with a slight coy tone at the end. 

Stub raised an eyebrow at her. “Such as?” 

“The part about me attracting disaster.” She answered. “For some reason my powers... attract some adults when I use them, led to some of the villages being attacked when I left.”  

“But why were you using them in the first place, I thought you didn’t like to reveal them?” Renny asked. 

Six turned to him with a deadpan expression. “To consume the souls of the powerful, or did you forget that part?” 

The brother’s eyes widened in understanding. “Wait, so what you did to Skullface was...” Renny started, unsure of what to say, 

She merely nodded in response, saying nothing. She instead turned to Netty and addressed his question. 

“I didn’t choose to become the Yellow Devil, it was something that people like you threw on to me three years ago.” She told him. 

“I never usually gave my name to other kids and I rarely ever talked to them or interacted with them, so they gave me the moniker and it just grew over time.” 

“Eventually, I accepted the title and used it to my advantage to scare kids away and solve some other problems that happened around there.” She said, recalling some of the moments that brought a slightly sadistic smile to her face. “May have also started to come at night just to reinforce the legend” 

Netty raised a suspicious eyebrow at her. “And the part about you threating people?” 

She gave him an unamused look. “Why do you think that happened?” She asked sarcastically. 

Stub answered her. “Because they got in your way?” 

Six simply responded with a knowing smile.

There was silence once more as the brothers digested what she had said, Six herself simply waiting for how they would respond. 

“Wait, so that’s why the Eastern side is quieter?” Renny asked, looking at her in disbelief. “Because you’ve been killing all the adults there?” 

“Yes.” She replied simply. 

“Why?” Stub asked, leaning forward slightly. 

The Yellow Devil said nothing, instead choosing to look away from them into the wooden huts. 

Her reasons were her own. 

After enough time had passed she returned her gaze to the table, seeing all of them still mulling over what she had said. 

“You’re still confused.” She declared. 

Renny shook his head. “Not confused, just....” 

“Conflicted.” Stub finished with a nod. 

Six raised an eyebrow at that, that was not the reaction she was expecting. 

The oldest seemed to notice her confusion. “I’m not really sure how to feel about you Six, especially after hearing some of the more... darker tales that kids have told.” He explained, sounding slightly regretful. 

She nodded at that, some of those tales were just exaggerations, the overactive imaginations of kids that had nightmares. 

Others however.... were as true as the sky was blue, some of them even being underplayed. 

“And after hearing some of the stuff you said about the Boss, I’ve certainly got some mixed feelings about you...” He said with a slight frown. 

“But at the end of the day, you still saved me and my brothers, which to me says you can’t be that bad” He finished with a nervous but sure smile, his brothers nodding.

Six stared at the boy for a good few seconds, her face entirely neutral yet inside she was completely baffled. 

Were these Brothers for real? 

She had just explained to them she was the Yellow Devil, the legend that kids told around campfires to scare them. The thing that walked in the night that sent them running for safety and brought adults down to their knees, draining them of life. She was an icon of terror, a thing to be feared by kids and adults alike, though the latter rarely seemed to show it. 

And yet, these kids simply reacted to it by saying they were merely ‘conflicted’ on the matter? 

It didn't make sense to Six. 

Then again, a lot of people here didn’t seem to make sense, so in reality she should have expected it. 

So, Six merely sighed and nodded at the boys before reaching over and pouring herself a cup of water, downing the liquid in one go. 

She was thirsty after all. 

Her gaze then turned to the boys once more and regarded them for but a second before a question came to her mind. 

“What would you have done if you hadn’t stopped me from attacking her?” She asked quizzically. 

The boy raised an eyebrow at her, obviously not expecting the question. “Well... I did so there's not much to talk about really.” 

Six sighed. “Yes.... but what if you didn’t ?” She asked again. 

He sighed at the girl before averting his eyes slightly. “I... would have probably gone to get the guards to split you up, I ain’t exactly a fan of kids trying to kill each other.” He explained. 

She raised an eyebrow. “You wouldn’t have tried to assist her in beating me?” 

Renny eyes widened slightly in disbelief. “Of course not, I wouldn’t want to beat you up Six.” 

Six found it amusing that he thought he could beat her but instead of voicing that thought, she instead voiced another. “Even though you’re on the same side?” She asked. 

The boy pulled his face into a slight frown at that. “I learned that taking sides with something like that doesn’t exactly end well for anyone.” He said, his eyes briefly glancing over at Netty. 

Ah, he was talking about what happened with that Lez boy was he? 

That brought another question to her mind. 

“What would you have done if he had won?” She asked with a slight tilt to her head. 

The boy released a confused ‘hmm’ at her, not understanding what she was asking. 

“What would you have done if Lez had won that fight against Mono for leadership? Would you have followed him?” She clarified. 

Renny and his brothers averted their gazes at that, clearly not comfortable with the question. Finally, Renny sighed and looked at her with slightly hesitant face.  

“I don’t know... more than likely not.” He answered, though his voice was unsure. “None of us don’t exactly agree with the way that Lez led people, especially compared to how the Boss leads us.” 

He then looked at the other patrons surrounding them. “But I know a lot of the other kids would have.” 

Six raised an eyebrow at that. “Really?” 

He nodded slowly at that. “Despite the fact that we and a lot of others follow the Boss because of how he treats people and what he prioritizes, that not what a lot of other kids want here.” 

“A lot of people here follow the Boss because he’s simply strong and strength like that means protection, so that’s why they follow him.” 

Six could see where this was going. “And if someone beats who you believed was the strongest...” She started. 

“Then you would follow them instead.” Renny finished for her, shaking his head at the end. “That ain’t what me and my brothers follow though, so we’d have probably left with the Boss... if Lez had allowed ‘em to of course.” He said, spitting out Lez’s name with virulence that didn’t seem to suit him. 

The girl absorbed the information the boy had told her, her brain processing the loyalty these kids had to the bag-headed boy. They said they followed Mono because of how he treated people and what he prioritized, yet also said that some of them followed him simply because of his strength? It made her wonder, was that strength his powers?  

She could remember them clear as day, the little static charges that pulsed between his fingers when he was bored and the way he absorbed those static shadows that were left around the city. Not to mention the times he got sucked into the TV’s and unleashed- 

Her head stopped those thoughts there, that was something that definitely didn’t need bringing up and instead, redirected to the thought at hand. 

Back then those powers of his were barely used by him and whilst he had never voiced it all that time ago, he seemed afraid to use them, though she was never sure why. 

Not like it mattered either way. 

“I take it Lez wouldn’t have let you walk away if you didn’t want to follow him.” She asked rhetorically. 

He nodded. “More than likely not, just another reason on the long list of many to despise him.” 

“How much is he hated here?” She inquired, wanting the question that she thought about answered. 

Surprisingly, Stub was the one to answer her with a deadpan expression that seemed typical of him. “There’s a reason the colour silver isn't used on the statue no more.” 

Six raised an eyebrow at that, that seemed like an... overreaction. 

Then again, she didn’t live here so.... 

They once again fell into a deafening silence, the questions leaving the brothers unsure of what to say. 

Six however, simply poured herself another cup of water and drank it. 

She was really thirsty after all.

After the talk with the brothers at the ‘restaurant’ as Renny labeled it, they had stayed only a while longer before Renny and his brothers stood up and said they had to go. Apparently Ardy was needing them to help rebuild some of the huts that were falling apart so they would be gone the rest of the day. 

Six didn’t really care about it, instead walking with them for a while before she left the group giving them a quiet ‘thank you’ for the meal and leaving as they waved her later. 

She then found herself back in the hut of Lez, stripped of her raincoat and once more drawing the monstrous adult from yesterday.  After a couple more hours of drawing she had finished the piece, the skull-faced adult shining on the paper like a reflection, a piece to be proud of in a weird way. 

She then tapped her pencil under the drawing for but a second, thinking of what to name it. 

Only one name came to her mind however, though it was an incredibly stupid name, made by a very illogical boy. 

But then again, it was the only name that came to her mind. So, she wrote the name down, underlining it with a swipe of the pencil 

Skullface  

Then, she placed a giant cross next to the name, a symbol to indicate that it would no longer be a threat. 

Just like the rest she had drawn. 

With that she settled the paper down on the table and stared at the ceiling. 

Now what? 

She was now in an annoying situation of nothing to do, having already exhausted her hobby of drawing and with many hours left before dusk arrived, the girl was very much stuck with nothing to do.  

It was something that Six never really expected due to her... occupation as that boy had put it. 

So now, the famed Yellow Devil, the supposed slayer of all and harbinger of fear, was left bored with nothing to do. 

And of course, that meant her shadow had to make an appearance...

It floated into her view upside down again, its hands behind its head like it was floating on water and relaxing. Bored are we? It asked with slight amusement. 

She stared at the shadow with a sarcastic glare. “What do you think?” She spoke, for once addressing the shadow by voice. 

I think you need to get more hobbies besides insulting people and killing adults, but that’s beside the point. It stated, flipping itself over and placing its hands under its chin. You’re bored and have got nothing to do.   

Six stared at the shadow, wanting to argue with it but realizing she had nothing to argue back with and instead turned away from it. 

The shadow then lowered itself slightly, sitting itself on the edge of the table and swinging its legs. So... for once let me make a suggestion on what to do now.  

The coatless girl swiveled her head to look back at the shadow. “And what would you suggest?” She asked sarcastically. 

Exploring. The shadow simply and immediately replied. 

Six leaned her head slightly to the side at that, exploring? 

The shadow nodded its head at her thought. Yeah, exploring. It confirmed, gesturing to outside of the doorway. There's a lot of places to see out there and we leave tomorrow, so why not have a look around before we disappear forever?  

She pulled her lips into a thin line at the shadow's suggestion, it wasn’t the worst thing to do... 

Indeed, exploring the village would get Six out of the hut and moving again and as much as the Doc from yesterday would have told her to not move around so much, she wasn’t one to remain still. She then turned her head to the shadow with a raised eyebrow as her mind thought of something. 

“Wouldn’t they be suspicious of me wandering?” She inquired. 

The shadow shrugged its shoulders. I don’t think so, after all you’re not doing anything are you, you’re just looking.  

Six nodded her head at that, it did make sense...

So with a sigh, the girl stood up from her chair and walked over to the other room to retrieve her things. 

Her shadow seemed to actually be shocked that she was actually listening to its idea, though Six sent waves of anger through her head to make the shadow realize to not say anything. 

It still seemed to smirk at her. 

The Yellow Devil once more reequipped her signature attire and slung the bag over her shoulders, still not feeling comfortable with leaving it where it could be stolen. She then made her way through the doorway and onto the dirt floor and began walking her way through the collection of huts and houses, though not in the direction of the center. Instead, she walked out to the right, deciding to look at the rest of the huts first to see how they compared to hers. 

Many of them were obviously in better condition than hers, free of graffiti and having much of the wood and metal that made them up in much better condition than hers. Nearly all of them also had more furniture than hers, many of them filled with tables, chairs, beds, even carpets and the occasional candle lamp fixture decorating them. 

Of course, a lot of the huts were empty at the moment, more than likely the kids who lived in them doing something to help the village. Yet Six still couldn’t believe that many would simply leave their stuff like this and trust those around them not to steal it. Then again, it wasn’t like she was going to steal it. 

After a few minutes of staring at empty houses, she turned and made her way through them to the center of the village, emerging into the afternoon sunlight blocked by clouds. There were many places Six could check out, but she decided to visit the most obvious thing that stood out. 

The statue. 

She walked over to it and stood before it, looking it over and taking note of all the different coloured handprints that covered its surface. Many of the handprints were of varying sizes of course, some overlapping each other with how many decorated the surface of the massive hands. Six slowly circled the statue, looking at it top to bottom and realizing what Stub had said was true, there were no silver handprints.  

Once the teen made a full rotation, she turned away from it, looking for a different place to explore. Though as Six did, she noticed two handprints that had no overlaps or other handprints near them for a few inches. 

One brown, one purple. 

She knew who they belonged to, but she didn’t acknowledge them. 

Instead, she turned in the direction of the clinic on the Eastern side and decided to check what was around there. It took a minute to walk over and once she reached it, she began to make her way through the collection of cabins and huts that once more made up the place. Most of the huts were the same as the last, however she did notice that some of them seemed to be more run down and some even seemed vacant, void of life. 

It only further confirmed where she was sent was no accident. 

Six continued exploring, walking behind the clinic as she did and noticing the fence that covered a decent sized space behind the clinic that seemed to smell faintly of cleaning products and ash. 

She could hazard a good guess to what it meant. 

The girl continued walking, coming across one of the other places two places that did food as Renny said, the smell of grilled meat faintly upon the wind as she walked past. She then came near the end of the row of huts and was about to step out back into the open space of the middle when a voice reached her ears. 

“Heya Six! Whatcha you doing here?” A cheery voice called out. 

Six internally cringed, why was she here? 

She turned to confirm the sight of the ginger-haired guard, who was now freed from the armour she wore and instead stood in the doorway of a hut with what appeared to be a pinkish tank top and shorts that looked like her own.  

The girl tilted her head still waiting for an answer, so Six mentally sighed and replied. 

“Exploring.” She said, her voice coming out slightly more annoyed than what was needed. 

Jess however, didn’t seem to notice and instead gave her a smile. “Exploring? Does that mean you’re getting a lay of the land, are you planning to stay with us?” She asked slightly excitedly. 

Six simply shook her head. “No, I'm just exploring. There's not much to do at the moment with this...” She stated, point at her side. “So I'm just looking around.” 

She then looked the girl up and down. “What are you doing here?” she asked, hoping the question would distract the girl from probing her for anything. 

The girl raised an eyebrow, though she still smiled as she raised her hand and flicked a thumb behind her. “Well, I live here so...” She trailed off, letting the answer hang in the air. 

Six once more cringed, that wasn’t exactly the greatest question to ask. 

Thankfully Jess didn’t seem to care and continued talking again. “Well, more specifically what I'm doing is that I'm going to take a nap, since I just got off my shift.” She then turned her head whilst still smiling to look back into the hut. 

“I even manage to get Nev asleep, so it’ll be a good one.” She said, rubbing he hands together in glee. 

Six thought for a second, so that kid from the restaurant was this girl’s brother? 

It would explain where the kids.... energy came from. 

Regardless, the girl turned back to Six and tilted her head. “Also, I heard from Greeney that you were at Lace’s for food, did you enjoy it?” She asked innocently. 

The girl in yellow mentality sighed. “Yes, I did.” 

A nod of the guard's head was enthusiastically given. “Good to hear.” She said, sounding just as excited as before. 

Jess’s face then became slightly more serious as she regarded Six. 

“I heard about what happened on the scavenger run with the brothers.” She started, her tone becoming caring and thankful. “I don’t know them that well, but It was good thing you did saving them, even if you did get hurt for it.” She said, gesturing to where Six had pointed. 

Once more Six was unsure of how to reply to the thanks and instead nodded at the girl. 

The guard then smiled at Six as he leaned on the doorway. “It was good thing they sent along with them, otherwise I would dread to think about what would’ve happened.” The girl then placed a hand under her chin and closed her eyes, appearing sleepy. 

“Though it does make me wonder why they didn’t send four people out on the runs before this.” 

Any thoughts that Six had immediately halted as she gave the girl her full attention, releasing an unintentional sound of confusion from her throat. 

Jess heard the sound and opened her eyes with exaggerated disbelief. “I know right? Four people allows them to separate in to two pairs, makes everything so much easier.” She said with feigned annoyance. 

“Plus, it’s also an even number and those are much better than odd numbers.” She quickly added, closing her eyes again. 

If the girl had kept her eyes open, she would have seen the face of the hooded girl in front of her slowly shift into one of cold anger and hatred, as she slowly turned her head in the direction of his tent. 

It made a lot more sense now.  

The confusion from the brothers at them having a fourth seemed random, as fit they simply hadn’t expected their Boss to find someone to replace them. Now it seemed that was untrue and that instead Six had been ‘encouraged’ to join the group without her knowing. 

But that still left the question of why. 

Her mind searched through the list of people she had encountered, trying to think of someone who might have the answer. Eventually, her mind thought of someone and Six felt herself narrow her eyes. 

Seems like she was going to have to visit someone. 

The girl behind her opened her eyes, seeing the girl in yellow turned away from her and staring off in the direction of the mountain made her slightly confused.  

“You alright? Did you see something on the cliff?” she asked, slightly concerned that some kid might have climbed up there again. 

Like Nev did. 

Six simply shook her head, not turning to face the girl and instead turning slightly in the direction the shed. “No, I just remembered I need to see someone.” She replied, her voice seeming oddly... cold and distant. 

“Oh, alright then.” Jess said, surprised by the sudden tone shift. “I guess I’ll see you later then!” She exclaimed. 

The girl in yellow said nothing, instead walking away from Jess and quickly disappearing from sight. 

Jess scratched her head, wondering what made the girl seem so.... distant suddenly. 

She shook her head, it wasn’t worth worrying about. 

Instead, she walked back inside, rubbing her palms together. 

This was going to be a good nap.

Ardy set the box down with a groan, wiping his head with the back of his sleeve and looking at the collection of boxes.

They had certainly done some work today. 

The work in question was fixing one of the more substantially sized homes in the village that at least six kids lived in, an uncommon occurrence though some preferred to live together like that. He had received the order this morning, forcing him to wrangle the brothers in on their day-off, though he knew they didn’t really mind the work. 

It had taken a few hours for them to repair the damage done to the cabin, apparently done by one of the kids falling through the roof, but at the end of it the damage had been undone. This left Ardy the task of putting away the tools and supplies they had used to repair the place and although the brothers had offered to help him pack them away, he had told them to enjoy the rest of their day off. 

They needed it after what happened yesterday. 

It still made him anxious thinking about what could have happened. 

Regardless, the box in front of him was the final one that needed to be moved and that meant that he could begin taking stock again, readying for closing down. 

But as he made to move, he felt something. 

A presence. 

Behind him...

He felt himself stiffen, he was a skittish individual, he knew that and it made him hyper aware of when people were near him. 

So who was behind him? 

Ardy answered the question by turning around, his vision suddenly being taken up by the colour yellow with mismatched greens and blues mixed in. He then tilted his head upwards, his eyes meeting those of a hooded face that he had no way of seeing. 

Not that he needed to because he already knew who it was. 

But before he could open his mouth to talk, the girl silenced him by grabbing him by the scurf of his shirt and though she did not pull he still felt too close. 

The girl then leaned forward slightly, her face still covered as she spoke. 

“We need to talk.” Six spoke, her words coming frigid and threatening. 

Ardy felt himself swallow nervously before he spoke. 

“T-talk?” He started, his voice on the edge of breaking. “A-about w-what?” 

The girl responded by lightly throwing the boy backwards, causing him to fall back onto the box and sit down. Six then grabbed her own box and pulled it under herself to sit down, leaning forward to reveal the barest hints of her face behind the hood. 

“About the fact that you lied to me on why you needed me for the scavenger run.” She stated, her mouth pulling itself back into a thin line of anger.  

Ardy felt the air in his throat get caught, how had she learned about that?  

A part of him wanted to deny what she said, to tell her that he had no idea what she was on about. But the look in her vermilion eyes that shone in the darkness of her hood told him that lying to her was a bad idea.  

Plus.... There was something else eating at him regarding what she said. 

So, with a nervous sigh he opened his mouth and began to explain everything. 

The explanation only took a ten minutes, but it was a tense ten minutes of Ardy shakily explaining what had happened. He told her about the order that came in, about how he had been told to make up a reason as to why Six had to go on the scavenger run. He told her how he had questioned the order, stating that it made no sense to send a complete stranger on a run. But in the end it was an order and he couldn’t exactly ignore it. 

And as he explained, Six merely sat across from him silently listening to everything he was saying, making no sounds and not even moving. Finally, after what seemed like a nerve-wracking eternity, he finished his explanation and let out a weighty sigh.  

He looked up at the girl to see her face still hadn’t changed, it simply remained emotionless as she seemed to think about something. It made Ardy realize he needed to say something before anything happened. 

“I-I want to let you k-know Six that I....” He took a breath to calm himself as the girl focused on him again. “I didn’t w-want to send you on the r-run, but I h-had to. I would have never d-done it otherwise.” 

The girl raised an eyebrow behind her shadowed face. “You wouldn’t have?” 

He shook his head. 

Six tilted her head. “Why?” 

“B-because it’s wrong!” He exclaimed, seemingly startling the girl slightly as he took a deep breath. 

“I d-don’t just send random k-kids out on the runs Six.” He explained, gesturing nervously. “I send those I k-know are capable.” 

The girl in yellow seemed slightly offended by what he said, though she made no remark. 

“I also d-don’t send out teams of four for the runs, I-it's too many people to lose, it d-draws too much attention.” He continued, looking at the ground shamefully. 

“But it was so w-wrong because I didn’t r-receive a report for the area that day.” 

Six tilted her head at him. “A report?” She asked. 

The boy lifted his head and nodded. “E-every time I send a team on the runs I g-get a scouting report, it’s to make s-sure that we don’t run into any adults whilst we’re out.” 

“But when you w-went out on the scavenger run that day, I-I didn’t receive a report.” He said, regret filling his voice. “I t-tried to get an answer from the Boss, but nothing came of it.” 

He then let out a sigh that made his entire body shake. “S-so I was forced to send you out on the run b-blind.” He said, pointing at Six’s side. “And y-you can see how that went.” 

Six looked at the injury in question, her face slightly shifting into a scowl that exposed her sharpened teeth slightly. 

“Which is why I-I'm telling you this at all.” 

She raised her head back to the boy with raised eyebrows. “What do you mean?” 

The boy locked eyes with her and for once his eyes did not cower, instead they reflected a deep sense of will, a drive of... something that kept him going. 

“I’m not telling you this because I'm scared of you Six.” He stated, his voice for once not shaken. “I’m telling you this because it’s the right thing to do.” 

The girl tilted her head curiously, where had this come from? 

“What happened to y-you and my friends on that r-run.... wasn’t right.” He declared. Shaking his head. “You got sent out when you didn’t need to be and it nearly cost me m-my greatest friends.”  

The boy then looked at her once more with emotional eyes. “And you saved them, w-which is why I’m telling y-you.” 

Those last few words were spoken with a shaky voice, true sorrow present within them and Six could only listen to him. His words made her once more uncomfortable with the praise she had been receiving lately, yet still she felt... something. 

Something she hadn’t felt in a long time. 

Gratitude. 

This boy had told her all this, not because he was scared of her but because he genuinely believed what had happened was wrong, that what had been done to herself and the brothers was something that made him want to tell her everything and align with her. 

It felt... different she supposed. 

Regardless of that, she had what she needed and so she sat up from her improvised seat and made to leave. 

Though not before Ardy once more spoke up. 

“W-what are you going to do n-now?” He asked, his usual shaky voice returning. 

Six did not turn and instead continued looking ahead as she spoke. 

“At the moment? Nothing.” She stated, her tone flat.  

She then started to walk away, as she said her last words to him for the day. 

“But later? Who knows.”  

With that she disappeared from sight, leaving the boy to sigh and wonder if what he had done was the right thing.

Six entered the hut once more and quickly stripped the bag from her shoulders, leaving it next to the table as she sat herself in the chair and thought about what she had learned. Her thoughts became a myriad of theories and skepticisms, each one different yet each one holding a similarity that held them together. 

Him. 

Each one led back to him, every single one led back to him and it made her blood rush with anger that she found hard to contain. 

Did he really think he could hide this from her? 

Just as her thoughts became more enraged however, her shadow once more appeared moving its hands in a pacifying gesture as if to calm her. 

Now, I know what you just learned seems bad and that Mono may have unintentionally sent you to die, but-  

“But what?” Six seethed, standing up from the chair to tower over the shadow. “What possible excuse can you make up to forgive him?” 

The shadow paused in its speech, raising its hand as if to counter what she said but nothing came of it. 

She snorted in amusement at it. “Exactly.” She stated, sitting back down. “There's nothing that excuses what he did. He did it to try and kill me.” 

Her shadow merely looked away for a second before shaking its head. Maybe this would have never happened in the first place if you simply apologized for what you did.  

Six looked at the shadow in disbelief. “Apologize? For what?” She asked incredulously. “Apologize for what he did to me? Apologize for getting us nearly killed? For-” 

The shadow appeared once more in front of her, this time physically grabbing Six, something she knew it could do but would hardly ever resort to. 

Seems like this was an exception. 

You always seem to think everything is about YOU. The shadow said pointedly. But in reality, it hardly ever is.

(Credit to @Zooskazoo for the drawing of Six and the Shadow.)

Six scowled at the shadow, pushing it backwards which caused it to float away. 

“It’s not about me.” She replied with clenched teeth, pointing at the shadow. “And even if it was, does it really forgive what he did to not only me, but also them? ” 

Both of them knew who them was. 

The shadow tilted her head at her. Since when did you care about them?  

“I don’t.” Six replied dismissively. “But what does it say about him if he did that ?” 

The shadow said nothing in response. 

Because in reality, what could excuse could you use for what had happened? 

Instead, the shadow merely faded away again, leaving Six alone once more. The girl sighed and dragged a hand down the side of her face in exasperation. 

It wasn’t even dark out yet and she was already tired of this day. 

She looked outside to confirm what she just thought and indeed seeing that whilst the sunlight was starting to become more orange and faded it would still be some time till it became dark again. 

No matter, she felt tired already from what had happened throughout the day and the longer rest would help heal the wounds she still had, which if it did, meant Six could leave on her final day tomorrow with less stress. 

Her last day... 

It was hard to believe it had already been nearly three days since she came, everything had gone by in a flash. Still, her last day left Six with a conundrum as to what could happen. 

Would Mono see her out? Hurling insults, demanding answers and threatening violence? 

Would she in turn throwback her own jabs? Would she have to defend herself from her former friend, reveal the truth about what had happened and incite chaos? 

She didn’t know and it wasn’t worth worrying about it now. 

That came tomorrow. 

Instead, Six moved herself over to the other room again, bag in hand and settled herself back into the corner with the sleeping bag. Once more she stripped herself of the raincoat and the cardigan, pulling the shirt underneath halfway up to see the bandaged wound.  

She pulled back the bandages slightly to see the wound had indeed started to heal already, the thick scab already taking shape and by tomorrow it will have properly formed. The arm was also checked to much the same result and Six decided tomorrow morning she would replace the bandages. 

With that resolution in mind, Six put her cardigan back on and decided not to eat the half loaf of bread she had, instead saving it for the morning as it would be better served there. 

It wouldn’t be the first time she skipped a meal and it certainly wouldn’t be the last time. 

So, Six laid her head on the comfy material of the sleeping bag, her eyes closing into blackness and for a moment there was something...

And then, there was nothing.

The creature twitched and groaned as it followed the trail, step by horribly disgusting step as it hobbled along. 

Any other creature would have reached the source of the trail many hours ago, but the.... limitations, inflictions, fusions, had taken a heavy toll on its body. They had reduced its speed to a mere splinter of what it had once been, a disadvantage that could have costed the creature many a kill. 

But it had other ways to.... compensate for it. 

The other thing that had slowed it down was the constant interference from the trees. 

The creature knew, even in the tiniest remnants of its mind that it did not want to be separated from signal, from the warmth, the comfort it provided. Which is why every time the signal was interrupted, the buzzing in its chest halted, the abomination would spaz out, trying its damndest to regain the signal. Once the signal was reconnected, it would calm and the creature would once more follow the trail. 

It seemed illogical that the thing could lose the broadcast with how powerful it was, even with all the trees. It seemed even more illogical that it could lose the signal with the massive metal pole coming out of its back, a thing used to receive the Towers broadcast. 

Regardless of the interruptions the creature still carried on, step by step, getting closer and closer. 

The thing in its chest once more whirred and buzzed, another tune coming from it. It was an upbeat tune in any other situation, the sounds and beats usually used to encourage excitement and movement. Here however, it did the opposite and only added to the creature's unnatural appearance. 

As it kept walking. 

Chapter Text

-Six was thrown to the ground as the boy collided with her, the air leaving her lungs as she was pinned to the ground.   

She quickly recovered from the tackle, raising her eyes to focus on her opponent that was currently holding her down.   

But she wasn’t quick enough,  

Before she had any chance to react, the boy’s hands shot out and coiled around her throat, an iron grasp forming around her soft flesh as the boy’s digits began to apply pressure. Immediately, Six grabbed the boy's hands, attempting to loosen the grasp they had around her neck. It did little to help, only granting her enough space to take a quick breath before the boy redoubled his efforts and applied more force.  

Six found herself unable to resist the boy’s strength, his hands forming an unbreakable bond around her throat, her fingers unable to slip underneath them. As such, Six began to gasp for breath, her legs kicking out in a struggle, her hands scratching at the boy's face in an attempt to gouge his eyes out. The former friend didn’t take kindly to that, as he readjusted himself slightly and lifted her up by the neck slightly, making her struggle... 

Before he slammed her back down against the wooden floor.  

Pain immediately flooded the back of Six’s head as she struggled to focus, trying to find something to keep her conscious. Her eyes landed on the boy’s face, on his hate filled face that spoke of betrayal, like he was the victim here. Once more he reapplied his grip to her throat and once more she went for his eyes.  

And the same thing happened.  

The pain came back again and Six swore she could feel blood on the back of her head from the blow as she laid on the floor, weakly attempting to resist the boy chocking her. The girl’s vision started to become black, white spots appeared in her vision as her mind started to fade out.  

Six felt her eyes slowly close, a calling to close them forever and simply rest, let the pain end, to give up.  

The thought made her eyes shoot open.  

Six did not give up, never.  

Her eyes shot to his with a desperate look in them and with a quick burst of speed her hand reached out and went for his face once more. This time she was more successful, managing to poke one of his eyes, causing him to instinctively pull his hands back to clutch it, though it did not last long as the poke had done no real damage.  

But it had given her space, just a tiny bit.  

He acted once more, his hands reaching for her throat again and she acted as well. There was a burst of speed on both sides and...  

Six found his hand in her mouth.  

Her eyes locked onto what she had done, finding that in some sort of panic she had opened her mouth and bitten down on the boy’s right hand, between the thumb and index. The girl hadn’t planned to do that, she hadn’t wanted to, but some part of her simply... told her to.   

Mono broke out of his stupor to what she done, trying to pull his hand free from her teeth.  

Six simply bit down harder.

The boy yelled as her teeth split his flesh open, blood starting to trickle down his hand and into her mouth. He reacted more desperately, using his other hand to try and pry her off, punching and scratching at her face, leaving angry red marks down her it. Six grabbed the other hand with her now free hands, holding it in place as she continued to apply more force to her bite.  

He reacted with more desperation, trying to use his size to his advantage as he slowly began to stand up, trying to loosen her maw from his hand.   

She would have scoffed if she could; he wanted to break free? Fine then.

But he wasn't going to break free without a price.

As he stood, Six placed a foot on his chest, confusing the boy slightly before he saw how she started to pull her head backwards.  

And then... she truly pulled. 

Within a moment there was screaming, as blood went flying across the floor along with the girl and the boy as they landed to the ground. Mono clutched his now bloodied hand, flesh missing between the space of his fingers, bone barely seen beneath translucent flesh. He tried his best to calm himself, tears in his eyes from the pain.  

Across from him was the girl, his flesh in her teeth.  

Six raised her head, flesh still in her teeth and the taste of iron on her tongue. Once she realized why, she quickly spat it out, the chunk of bloody flesh and blood now staining the old wooden floor.  

The boy looked at the chunk that was once part of his hand with fear and pain, slowly looking back at his hand and flexing his fingers. They still worked, but the boy could feel his muscles not clenching right.   

He shook with anger, static laced particles flying off him as he regarded the girl.  

She had hurt him, taken a part of him in a disgusting and inhuman way.  

He would return the favour.  

Mono stood from the ground clutching his hand as Six did the same, eyes scanning each other for the next move. Then, in the corner of his eyes he saw it, a way to tip the scales in his direction.   

She saw it too.  

They both moved instantly, running over to the item in question, both desperate to stop the other from acquiring the deadly tool.   

Six was faster like always, her hands reaching out to grab it.  

But she was quickly punted aside with a running kick.  

She fell to the ground on her side, quickly picking herself up to try and stop him from getting the thing.  

But it was already too late.  

Six watched as the boy picked the machete up by the handle like he did with every tool, blood staining the grip.  

He swung the thing at her and Six watched the blade come towards her with deadly intent-  

And Six sat up straight from her sleeping bag, her vermillion eyes for once widened with fear. She then remembered where she was and the girl clenched and unclenched her fists, slowly taking deep breaths. 

It was just a memory, nothing to worry about for it had already happened. 

With that, Six took another breath before standing up and looking out the window. It was already morning judging by the light shining through, more than likely a few hours till noon.  

That would suit her fine. 

She pulled the sleeping bag from its position on the floor, stuffing it back into the bag whilst retrieving the half loaf of bread she had saved. Six moved herself over to the table and sat down, pulling a part of the bread off before chewing it. 

It was quite sweet for a change. 

As she dug into breakfast, Six let her mind wander to what she would do today. It was her final day here before she would leave and as such, she needed to get ready before leaving. The most problematic thing at the moment was food as whilst Six could easily catch something when she left, she would prefer to have something on hand to save, just in case. 

Perhaps she could convince Ardy to give her some more food? It was certainly worth a try. 

The final piece of bread was finally swallowed and Six dived her hands back into her bag, rummaging through it before she found the bandages she was looking for. She placed them aside before taking a good look around and taking off her cardigan, lifting her shirt in the process to hold it between her teeth. 

Six then went to work, slowly tearing away the bandages to reveal the ugly scabbed wound beneath, dried blood coating the cloth as it was pulled away. After a few more pulls, all the used bandages were removed, piled on top of the table. She then grabbed the fresh bandages, slowly pulling them around her torso tightly, covering the wound once more. 

Once she was satisfied with the result, she tore the bandage off and secured the end tightly with the rest of the roll being placed back onto the table. She let her shirt fall from beneath her teeth and turned to her arm, proceeding to do the same to the limb and its bandages. 

After a few minutes of awkward wrapping, she finally secured the cloth and placed the remaining roll into her bag, the cardigan being dragged back on. With that she sat up from the table and returned to the other room, retrieving her coat and placing it back on. 

Six then turned and walked back into the main room to retrieve her bag. 

Only to be met with the sight of Renny in the front doorway, an awkward smile on his lips. 

The girl in yellow narrowed her eyes and raised an eyebrow at the boy, what was he doing here at this time? 

“Morning Six.” He greeted, the smile not fading. “How did you sleep?” 

Six rolled her eyes at the boy’s attempt to make talk with her, slowly walking over to the bag to retrieve as she answered. “Fine, only problem was a dream.” 

He raised an eyebrow at her. “Dream problems? you mean a nightmare?” He asked with slight concern.  

She didn’t look at him as she picked up her bag. “Dream.” She simply and vaguely responded. 

Renny seemed confused by her answer but said nothing of it, instead choosing to change the subject.  

“I heard you’re leaving today.” He said, his voice completely neutral. 

Six finally turned to him and nodded. “I am.” 

The boy’s smile seemed to dim slightly but it nevertheless stayed. “Sure you don’t wanna stay? Could always use the extra hand.” 

She felt something build in her throat, but she ignored it as she replied. “I’m sure.” 

Renny nodded his head slowly. “So... What are you doing now then?” He asked slowly. 

Six turned to look past him out the doorway. “Need to get some food for the journey, then I’ll be heading out finally.” 

The boy seemed slightly hurt by what she said. “You wouldn’t have come to say goodbye?”  

She turned to look at him with a deadpan look. “I have no idea where you live.” She replied. 

He raised his hand to counter her before his face became unsure and he nodded his head side to side. “Fair enough, but still...” 

Six resisted the urge to sigh, why was he hung up on her leaving? 

Regardless, the boy seemed to recover from his hurt and nervously rubbed the back of his head. “So... you’re wanting food, right?” He asked. 

She nodded slowly, why did he seem so... nervous? 

He then chuckled slightly. “Well.... good thing I came prepared then.” He said with a smile as he stepped in slightly, revealing Stub behind him.  

Six felt slightly alarmed at that, how had she not seen him? 

Stub then stepped in, revealing in his hands two sacks, appeared the same as the ones Ardy gave them. He then approached the table and set the sacks onto it, giving Six an appreciative smile as he did. The girl in question raised a questioning eyebrow at him before turning to Renny. 

Renny simply gestured to the sacks, an indication to check them out.  

Six turned to the sacks and opened the first one up, revealing it to be filled with dried meats of varying kinds that would last a while. A surprised look came to her face before she opened the other sack, revealing it to be filled with nuts, berries and fruits that looked fresh. She then turned to look at Renny and Stub, the former wearing an embarrassed smile on his face. 

“We didn’t exactly treat you to anything yesterday for saving us, since you got your meal for free.” He explained, gesturing to the sacks. “So, once I heard you were leaving, we decided to get you something.” 

The Yellow Devil briefly felt her eyes flicker to the sacks beside her. "Are you sure this isn’t.... detrimental to you?” She asked. Slightly bewildered. 

Stub shook his head. “We got plenty of tokens for food.” He answered. 

“Besides....” Renny started, giving her a warm smile.  

“You deserve it, for what you did.” 

Six felt something briefly, very briefly light within her chest, a flicker of warmth that licked her heart from what the boys had said. It was something that she had felt yesterday, something she hadn’t felt in a while and now felt it again. 

“Thank you.” She spoke, the words coming out genuine for once as she bowed her head, something she knew to do since her earliest memories. 

Renny raised his hands. “Hey no need to thank us, it's us who should be thanking you still for what you did.” 

The urge to roll her eyes at the boy was high but she ignored it, he just had to try and be humble, didn’t he? 

Regardless, Six turned to the sacks and opened up her bag, stuffing the newly acquired food inside, struggling slightly to fit it all in though it eventually did. She then turned and slid the bag back on, giving it a quick shake to check it. 

It was much heavier than when she first arrived. 

She then looked at the boys, giving them another nod of appreciation to which they both smiled. She then turned to the doorway, making her way outside as the boys fell in line behind her. 

Renny then appeared at her side, smiling sadly. “You’re leaving already?” He asked. 

Six didn’t turn to look at him but nodded nevertheless. “There’s a lot of ground I need to cover to get to the West side...” She said, turning slightly to look at him. “And I would prefer using as much daylight as possible.” 

He nodded at that, it was something he could understand. 

They continued walking towards the gates, however once they passed the center of the village all of them could hear the sound of rapidly approaching footsteps. Renny turned to the sound and smiled in surprise. “Ardy...?” 

Ardy approached them with a happy look in his usually nervous-looking blue eyes, giving them a smile. “H-heya boys, whatcha doing?” He asked.  

Renny gestured to Six vaguely. “Six is leaving now, so we came to see her off.” He replied. 

The supply manager raised his head in understanding, a soft ‘ah’ leaving his mouth before he looked at the brother confused. 

“Where’s N-Netty?” He asked, raising an eyebrow. 

Six herself found herself wondering the same thing, where was the younger brother? 

Stub answered them. “Staying at home, didn’t want to see Six off.” He turned to the girl in question. “He means no offense by it of course, he just wanted to clean the place up.” 

She merely nodded at him, there was no offence to be taken. 

Ardy also nodded at Stub before turning to look at Six with a confused gaze. “A-and you’re leaving already, so early?” He asked. 

Six nodded and repeated what she had said to the brothers earlier, causing Ardy to nod his head in understanding. 

“W-well, good thing I caught you when I d-did then...” He said, turning slightly to unhook something from behind him. “Since I wanted to give you this.” 

The thing in question was a canteen, metal in construction with varying bits of leather folded around it to keep it insulated and was completed with a cloth strap that was connected to two iron rings.  

He held out the canteen with a smile. “I-I saw when you came in that you d-didn't have one and well...” He looked away slightly. “I w-wanted to give you something to see you off and to t-thank you again.” 

Six once more felt something burn in her chest, slightly longer this time as she accepted the canteen and for once in what seemed like years, gave the boy a small smile with a nod. She then fastened the canteen to her bag, pulling it to make sure it wouldn’t fall before giving Ardy another nod of appreciation.  

“W-well, I guess this is g-goodbye then Six.” He said with a nod. “Thanks again for what you d-did.” 

She simply raised a hand in dismissal, he was just repeating himself at this point. But then she noticed something in his eyes, something that she should have expected. 

Concern. 

Not for her of course, but for what had happened yesterday and what she had learned. The boy was clearly concerned about what might happen today when she left and Six wouldn’t blame him. So, she gave the boy a look of sympathy and nodded, to let him know she knew his... concerns. 

He nodded back before turning and walking away, giving them a small wave as he left.  

Renny turned to Six and pointed to Ardy with a thumb. “What was that about?” He questioned, confusion in his voice. 

Six shook her head. “Something between us.” She stated. 

Though in reality, it did involve them.  

Still, she ignored the urge to tell them and instead continued walking towards the gates, Brothers in tow. Another minute passed and they eventually found themselves standing before the massive gate, two guards already posted on top the walls, staring out both watchfully and with incredible boredom. Before she could call up to get their attention, a finger poked her shoulder a couple of times, causing her to turn around to look at Renny. 

He gave her a smile as he spoke. “I guess this is goodbye then huh?” He said with a tinge of sadness. 

The girl merely nodded. “It is.” 

Renny then sighed, still smiling as he did. “Maybe you’ll think about coming back?”  

She shook her head. “Doubtful.” She said, knowing that she couldn’t stay even if she wanted to. 

His smile fell slightly but he still wore it. “Well then... it was still nice meeting you Six.” He said, sticking his hand out towards her. 

She looked at the hand for a second, a slight amount of indecision creeping up her before she grasped his hand with her own and both shook each other firmly before separating. She then turned to the taller one who offered the same thing, though he clasped her arm rather than her hand and gave her a pat on the shoulder as well. 

With that, Six turned to the guard above her and opened her mouth to speak out to him. 

“Six!” 

But another and well-known voice spoke out before she could. 

Her face faltered into a frown, her brows furrowing as she turned around to the voice of the boy who spoken.  

Mono. 

He came walking towards with long strides that shifted the dirt beneath him, his hands clasped behind his back and mask hiding his face. Besides him was Alle, her face completely neutral as she walked alongside him. They stopped a few meters away from Six and Mono regarded her for a second before speaking. 

“Leaving already?” He spoke, his voice passive though the hatred was still there beneath it all. “And without saying a word to me?” 

Six gave him a long, hard stare. “I have nothing to say to you.” She replied, words filled with repressed anger. 

Mono scoffed at her. “Really, nothing?” He unclasped his hands from his back. “I find that hard to believe.” 

“Believe what you want to believe.” Six replied, shrugging her shoulders. “But there’s nothing more to say to you Mono...”  

The boy leaned his head forwards slightly, his eyes becoming slightly visible behind his bag. “Yeah? Well I still have plenty to say to you.” He said with words of anger. 

She shook her head at him. “And you think I care about what you say?” 

He rolled his eyes behind his mask. “No, I’d imagine you don’t do you.” His hand then raised itself to point at her. “Then again, you never cared about anything, did you?” 

Six felt a flicker of anger surge through her and took a step towards the boy, much to the concern of the Brothers. “Like you’re one to talk.” She replied, her voice cold. 

Mono seemed taken aback by the statement, taking his own step forward. “You calling me a liar? I care about everything, everyone here, I built this place to keep them safe.” He replied heatedly. 

She took another step forward. “And what was I then? Did you keep me safe?” She accused with a tilt of her head. 

He mirrored her movement. “I did.” He stated, anger and regret in his voice. “But then I realized that was a mistake, you didn’t deserve my help.” 

“Your help?" Six replied, giving off a small mocking chuckle. “You mean like how you helped them, how you lied to them?” 

Mono took a stride forward, Six following as they now stood eye to eye. “What are you lying about now?” He said through gritted teeth, staring down at the girl. 

The girl in question stood herself slightly taller, her voice switching to a whisper. “About how you sent me on the run to die, along with your own people.” She stated. 

He seemed to freeze for a moment before his gaze turned hate filled. “You have no proof of that.” 

“Maybe...” Six said, slightly amused before looking him in the eye again. “But I know don’t I?” She mockingly questioned. 

The tension between the two was starting to boil over, neither paying attention to their surroundings, to the other kids who were starting to watch the two argue, the Brothers and Alle also watching with great concern.  

This also included the two guards, who had watched with distracted interest. Then, one of them turned slightly and within the trees, they saw something. 

Something big...

Something scary...

And it was coming towards them. 

Six poked her finger into the boy’s chest, giving him a smirk. “And you hate that I know, don’t you?” 

The boy slapped her finger in anger. “I hate that you think you’re better than me.” He said, his words coming out filled with loathing. 

“Boss?” 

“I am better than you.” Six corrected. “Since I didn’t send innocent kids out to die for no reason.” 

Mono leered forward slightly his face inches away from hers. “I sent them out because you’re here, because you’re a monster who deserves-” 

Six pushed him away slightly causing him to stumble. “Don’t make up excuses to justify what you did!” She exclaimed, the words he said bring back what happened all that time ago. “You did that seven years ago and it didn’t work then.” 

“Boss...” 

“Excuses?!” Mono replied with indignation and rage. “You mean like the ones you used back then? The little lies you told me?” 

The Yellow Devil felt her fists shake slightly, a feeling of déjà vu running through her, yet she ignored it. “I told no lies, I simply stated the obvious.” She replied, pointing a finger back at him. 

“How everything was your fault.” Six said, each word coming out accusatory. 

The teen felt his rage boil over. “MY FAULT?!” He screamed out, surprising those around him. 

He raised his fist above him, preparing to strike the girl.  

Six felt herself loosen into a stance, her hands shaking with adrenaline. 

“BOSS!” 

“MONO!” 

The combined shouting caused both of them to hesitate and stop, the boy looking back to Alle who had shouted his name, who in turned pointed to the guard stationed above.  

He looked up at the guard, a panicked look on their face. 

“Boss! There's an adult approaching the village!” They shouted, their voice filled with fear.  

“What?!” Several of them shouted, including Mono, Six and the other onlookers. 

Mono gave a brief glance to Six before running past her, quickly climbing the ladders on the wall to see what was happening. Six followed after a moment, her mind needing to know what was going on. She climbed up behind the boy and a moment later she heard someone else climb up behind her. She then pulled herself up to the walkway, Mono already looking over the spiked wood and Six quickly following. 

Then, she saw it. 

It only started to come into the clearing that the village sat in, the eternally blocked Sun finally shedding light on the creature. 

And it was horrible...

The adult, if it could be called that, was one that resembled a male Viewer. The twisted face with no features present, the standard and boring workday clothes that looked faded and ready to fall off, the skin that looked dead and rotten. 

But it was the other things inside it that brought alarm. 

The thing had multiple wires, cables and assortments of metal and wood sticking out of it at random angles, most of it resembling the type of stuff found in a TV store. The knees bent out at the wrong angles, wood stuck in the joints that seemed fused with it, the horrible sounds of groaning lumber heard as it walked. 

A TV aerial stuck out of the creatures back, melded to its spine and forcing it into a crooked shape. Multiple wires spun around it, the multiple prongs that sat atop the pole covered with debris and cables that seemed to crackle and hiss.  

And within the creatures chest sat the worst part...

A TV. 

It was fused to the adult’s torso, fitted in sideways and embedded deep within, more cables and wires surrounding the wooden box. The thing played static and buzzed, the image bringing back horrible memories to the two that watched.  

The creature stagged forward slowly, its pace horribly slow compared to other adults.  

But it was still approaching. 

Alle appeared next to Mono, causing the boy to look at her before turning quickly to the village behind him.  

“SOUND THE ALARM!” He shouted, his voice filled with panic.  

The few kids that were watching, including Stub and Renny quickly ran, a guard who had been patrolling nearby quickly doing the same. A few seconds later, Six heard a massive ringing sound play out, a bell being rung that caused all the other kids in the village to quickly run for safety. 

After that more guards appeared, at least a dozen, all of them clad in makeshift armor as they sprinted to the front gates, Greeney and Jess among them. 

Greeney looked up at them with confusion and panic. “Boss?!” He questioned, wanting to know what was happening.  

Mono looked down at the assembled guards. “There's an adult approaching the village!” He shouted, pointing behind him. “We need to take it down before it reaches the walls!” 

The assembled guards let out varying sounds of conformation before Greeney shouted to them all. 

“You heard him! Man the walls, get the cannons up!” He commanded, the boy’s usually laid back voice quickly switching as he ran to the ladders. 

‘Cannons?’ Six thought, wondering what the boy was on about. 

A group of three kids ran past her, moving down the walkway to the Eastern side and quickly pulling up to a contraption that Six somehow completely missed. 

The thing in question was a bolt action rifle, stripped down slightly and the barrel seemingly cut down. It had been affixed to some kind of metal and wooden frame, various gears and wheels inside the frame giving the gun the ability to be moved. The entire thing was bolted to the wall to hold it securely and the stock of the gun had been altered, changed into that of a seat that had a single peddle that was on a kind of pulley system to the trigger.  

The kids ran up to the emplacement, one of them quickly jumping into the seat and wrapping a makeshift buckle across their waist. The other two took positions to the side of the gun, one of them grabbing a lever that stuck out the side of the frame and moving it up and down, causing the gun to move up slightly to aim over the wall. 

Six raised an eyebrow at the contraption before turning to the other side and noticing there was a similar contraption being manned by a team of two, this time a revolver being used. She then felt a tap on her shoulder, turning to find it was Alle. 

“You should get inside.” She stated, her voice commanding and stern.  

The girl went to nod, but then noticed the boy behind Alle, staring out at the monster as it approached the village.  

She then shook her head at the bodyguard. “No.” She stated.  

“No?” Alle parroted. “This isn’t you’re problem and you’re not-” 

Six silenced her with a glare. “Have you forgotten who you’re talking to?” She inquired. 

Alle paused, then remembered who she was talking to.  

The bodyguard then looked at the Yellow Devil. “And you think you can kill that?” She asked, pointing at the Abomination approaching. 

Six looked at the monster and scoffed. “I know I can kill it.” She replied confidently, moving past the girl to stand next to Mono. The bag headed boy turned to look at the girl with a suspicious and hate filled glare.  

“And what are you doing?” He questioned. “Come to see if anybody dies for your own sick interest?” 

She bit her tongue at the question and instead raised her hand to allow the liquid shadow to pool in her hands. The action caused Mono to hesitate slightly before his glare lessened slightly. “Are you sure that will work?” 

The Yellow Devil scoffed. “Its worked on everything else, I doubt it will fail now.” 

Mono looked at her with an unknown look before a growl left his throat and he turned to the monster approaching. A few seconds passed and several guards came onto the walkway with bows and arrows, as the ‘cannons’ took aim at the Abomination. Mono turned to look at Six with a confused and annoyed expression.  

“Well?” He said exasperatedly, gesturing to the adult. 

Six briefly flicked her eyes over to him before slipping her bag off her shoulders to the walkway. “I can’t.” She replied. 

The boy raised an eyebrow beneath his mask. “You can’t?” He questioned. 

“It’s too far away.” She explained, staring at the adult. “I can only use my powers so far.”  

Mono shook his head in disbelief. “You have a limit?” he asked with anger before turning to the adult once more. “I’m not letting it get that close just to see if you fail or not.” 

Six scoffed at him. “It never fails and you could waste a lot of supplies trying to kill it yourself.” 

He looked at her with an abhorrent look. “I’m not trusting you to save us Six, I’m never trusting you again.” 

She gave him a hard look before shrugging, his waste. 

Greeney then appeared on the wall, holding his own bow and pointing at the twisted adult. 

“Take aim! Only fire when you’re certain you’ll hit!” He shouted, gesturing to the emplacements. 

The kids manning the guns all gave thumbs up, all of them turning the guns to aim them at the thing that approached. It took another step towards them, the horrible groaning and clicking sounds the Viewers made starting to become audible to all present. There was a moment of silence on the wall, as no one spoke a word, the only sound being that of the guns slowly tracking the adult. 

Another step, another groan.  

Silence. 

And then... 

“Firing!” Came the shout from the kid manning the Eastern ‘cannon’. The kid then stomped onto the peddle that sat on the bottom, the trigger being pulled. A loud bang rung through the air, a sound that Six had long grown used to, though the proximity was uncommon. The entire wall seemed to shake as it was fired, the emplacement shifting slightly from the force but not breaking.  

The bullet shot forth, hitting the adult squarely in a portion of wood and flesh on its right shoulder, causing it to stagger.  

But it didn’t seem to register any pain and after a moment it simply kept walking. 

Six felt her eyes narrow at the thing, it had just been shot yet it didn’t even react?  

The sound of the bolt being pulled on her left snapped her out of the stare, just in time to see one of the kids pushing the bolt back into place to fire the next round. To her right another shot rang out, not as loud but still creating enough noise to ring her ears. The revolver shot hit a metal section in the adults body, the sound of the bullet ricocheting against the metal reaching her ears.  

There was a swear from the kid manning the revolve, as they pulled the hammer back on the gun back to fire again, the other pushing the gun to take aim again. Another shot rang out from the rifle, hitting  the target in the arm and causing it to jerk but still give no reaction. 

Then the revolver rang out again. 

Then the rifle. 

Then another shot. 

Then another. 

And another. 

Each one hit the Abomination, either hitting it in the flesh or in the wooden and metal parts that either caused the shots to become useless or splinter wood.  

Yet it still didn’t stop walking. 

The thing would stagger constantly from each shot, but it would simply resume its shamble of a walk moments later, getting closer and closer. 

Until.... 

“We’re out!” Came the shout from the Eastern crew, as they started to pull back the bolt to fit another clip into the rifle. A few moments later, the same thing was shouted out from the Western side, as they also started to refill the revolver. 

Greeney stared at the advancing adult with determination yet also a hint of concern. “Why isn’t this thing stopping? Most adults would have either ran or died by now...”  

“Because it’s a Viewer.” Six commented, watching as it got closer and closer. “They’re completely mindless, only drawn to the TVs in the city.”  

“Then why is it here?” Mono said, gesturing to the thing. “Its got a TV in its chest, so why has it come here?”  

Six looked ahead at the adult, briefly looking at her hand as a small amount of shadow formed within it.  

She knew why. 

Out of the corner of her eye she saw Mono look at her as she closer her hand to dispel the shadow. He seemed to notice the way she stared at her power then and Six could already tell that he was putting things together in his head.  

She would have to deal with that later. 

Instead, she refocused her attention to the twisted man, as it took another step, now starting to get reasonably close. Greeney and the several other guards with bows started to pull them back, taking aim higher as the adult approached. Six doubted they would do any real damage to the thing, but she didn’t want to dissuade them. 

As they took aim, the emplacement on the right was finished being loaded as one of the kids on team stomped on the clip to get it into the rifle before throwing the empty clip away, giving a thumbs up to the gunner. The bolt was then shoved back into position as the crew started to aim the gun again to take another shot at the adult. 

To Six however, it wouldn’t be necessary. 

The adult took another step, the sound of taunt strings and metal being moved filling the air. Six simply focused on the adult, raising her hand and pulling it back like she was going to throw something. Besides her both Mono and Alle turned to look at her, one with confusion, the other with suspicion. She ignored them both and instead simply focused on the task at hand. 

Another step was taken, the tension in the air high as they all took aim. 

Then another, the silence becoming deafening. 

Then.... 

She struck. 

With a sudden burst of speed her hand shot out, a tendril of shadow emerging from her entire arm as it rocketed straight towards the twisted Viewer. Several shouts of confusion rang out from those watching, including Alle and Mono who were standing right next to her. Once more she ignored them and instead focused on her powers as they struck the adult straight in the chest. 

Six smiled slightly, too easy. 

To her side Mono watched with concern and suspicion, this was the power Renny had described Six using? It certainly looked.... scary, as the boy had put it. The seemingly liquid shadow was hard to describe from just looking at it and even from just standing next to her, Mono felt like the stuff would suddenly extend to reach him. 

At least it seemed to stop the adult. 

The adult in question simply stood still, the twitching ceasing and the TV in its chest becoming blank. It seemed like it was simply.... gone. 

He turned to Six with a slightly annoyed expression, had she actually done it? 

But then, he noticed something...

Her face was twitching rapidly as if in pain, her eyes shut close and sweat dripping down her face. Her hand suddenly started to spasm uncontrollably, as if suddenly straining too hard to keep something taut. 

Suddenly, her eyes shot open and the girl snapped her hand back with incredible speed, like she had just touched something that burned her hand. The shadowy tendril that impaled the adult’s body faded into nothing and the creature suddenly began twitching again as its head snapped to the walls again.   

Mono snapped his head to Six again, watching as the girl held her hand in apparent pain before looking at the adult with narrowed eyes.  

“It has no soul...” She hissed out, squeezing and shaking her hand as if to relieve it of pain. 

Both Mono and Alle stared at her with confused expressions. “What?” Alle said. 

Six straightened herself slightly as she held her hand. “It has no soul.” She repeated, nodding to the Abomination. “There’s.... nothing in there, nothing to animate it, nothing for me to steal.” She explained, confusion apparent in her voice.  

“Nothing?” Alle questioned taking a brief look at the adult. “Then how the hell is it even alive?” 

The Yellow Devil shook her head. “I don’t know, there's something else inside there making it move and whatever it is, I can’t remove it.” She stated. 

Mono looked at her with a deadpan expression behind his mask. “So, you’re useless then.” He said insultingly. 

Six gritted her teeth at the boy’s words, finally letting go of her hand and refocusing on the adult. “Like you? No.” She replied, raising her hand again.  

“I have other tricks up my sleeve.” 

She then straightened her fingers into a knife hand, shadows forming around it before she brought the hand down in a chopping motion. As she brought her hand down the shadow extended outwards, forming a thin, blade like edge that seemed to bend unnaturally. Once she brought her hand in front of her the shadow separated, yet it continued to travel in its unnatural path. 

Straight into the Viewer’s shoulder. 

The shadow cut into it like a blade, going straight through the shirt into the pale flesh beneath. The wound created wasn’t too large, yet blood that seemed almost black in colouration oozed from it, staining the clothing it wore.  

Yet still, the creature gave no reaction. 

Six brought her hand back to her side with a scowl, this thing was starting to become a problem with how it ignored everything thrown at it and not only that but Six knew she only had enough ‘fuel’ to perform a few more like that. 

Right as she finished that thought, another shot rang out. 

This one found its mark. 

The Abomination’s blank face suddenly tilted to the sky, as the rifle emplacement struck it square in the face. Blood was seen flying out of the creature’ face, the sound of flesh tearing and bone breaking would be heard if not for the loud ringing from the gunshot.  

Everyone watched with bated breath as the creature stood stock still, neither twitching nor advancing on the village, simply standing and staring skywards. 

A few seconds passed and the creature did not move, prompting many of the guards to start cheering, thinking they had killed it. 

Six however, simply kept watching. 

And sure enough.... 

The creature's head began twitching again, the air filled with the unnatural sound of bones clicking. Then, the creature brought its head down once more and the full damage of the rifle was revealed. 

A sizeable hole had been left in the adult’s face where the right eye should have been, the flesh and sinew of the socket was now exposed, twitching and pulsating with thick almost mucus like blood. The now exposed and deformed structure of the thing's skull was also now clear as day, revealing a twisted skull that seemed to bend and twist unnaturally with the Viewer’s twisted face. Much of the bone that could been seen was shattered by the bullet, yet the bullet itself was still lodged inside the skull, more than likely stopped by the mutated bone. 

The head twitched once more and the thing then started to move again at its sluggish pace, blood leaking onto the grass below. 

Everyone present shook their heads at the sight, some in shock and others in disbelief. 

“How the hell is that thing even moving?!” One of the guards shouted, voice filled with fear. 

Mono turned to the guard who was shouting. “Keep it together! It can die just like any other monster!” He commanded, turning to Greeney. “Keep firing! Don't let it reach the gates!” 

The boy nodded and he along with guards, pulled back the strings of their bows before letting them loose and a volley of wooden arrows were sent flying. Many of them simply bounced off the creature, though some found their way into the creatures flesh, causing it to bleed more. 

Another revolver shot rang out as the thing kept walking, hitting it directly in the chest near the TV. 

That caused a reaction. 

The Abomination suddenly looked down at the thing in its chest, seeing the TV stutter slightly with static. It started to twitch rapidly, the screen in its chest suddenly becoming filled with images and static that blinked faster than the eye could see. A loud ringing started to emanate from the box, steadily growing louder and louder. 

Six and the others suddenly found it hard to hear themselves, yet over it all, Alle managed to shout above the sound. 

“GET DOWN!” She screamed, her usually calm voice turning into a loud command that reached everyone’s ears. 

Six found herself complying, ducking beneath the wall and covering her ears from the dreadful sound. 

Right as the adult screamed to the heavens.  

A large pulse of pure static-laced sound rippled through the air, coming out in waves that seemed to cause the air itself to shift. It travelled through the air at speeds unimaginable and once it reached Six’s ears, she felt them burn.  

Her head began to ring with unintelligible noise and pain that bounced off her skull, every reverb seeming to get louder, every random voice becoming a shout. She planted her head into the wooden walkway as she tried to fight against the pain, her body trying its best to fight its way through the agony that lit up her mind. 

No one else fared any better. 

They all kneeled on the ground, hands on heads trying to keep the dread sound out as it tried to reduce their thoughts to dust. Weapons were dropped, the cannons became silent and everyone defending simply became a pile of pain. 

Mono however, wasn’t in pain. 

He was in complete torture. 

His head felt like someone had taken it and dragged his brain through a pit of nails, each one scrapping against it causing it to leak out thought and reason. He felt his nerves become filled with acid and fire, each nerve ending become overloaded, every surface becoming the Sun. He felt the air leave his lungs as he gasped in pain, clutching his bagged head with such force that it boarded on harmful.  

The boy let loose a silent scream from his lips as the waves continued on and within a few seconds it became too much and soon found darkness embracing him.  

Even though Alle saw her friend fall next to her she didn’t move to help him, too focused on trying to keep the sound out. A few more seconds passed of the awful sound, the waves passing through them and into the village, some of the residents also starting to feel its effects. 

Then, after a few more seconds the sound started to recede, the air becoming still and quieter. Six felt her mind slowly awaken from the pain that had rung inside it, bringing her back to her sense. She uncovered her ears and lifted her head, the others around her doing the same. The bodyguard next to her quickly kneeled to Mono’s side, checking if he was still alive and once she found he still was, let loose a sigh of relief. 

Six said nothing, instead choosing to stand up from her kneeled position, many of the other guards following suit whilst Alle picked Mono up to take him to safety. As she did however, she felt the ground tremble slightly. 

And remembered the situation they were in.  

She turned her head quickly to the peer over the wall and found the adult was now close to the gates. 

Dangerously close in fact. 

Many of the guards around her scrambled, the ones that were previously manning the guns quickly disembarked, the guns unable to turn that far to shoot the monster. Many of the other guard started to take shots at the adult and at this close of a range it was impossible to miss, though they still did little damage.  

Alle walked past her as the adult stomped closer, carrying Mono over her shoulder as she slowly descended down a ladder. 

Six shook her head at the sight, whilst he was their leader there were more important things to worry about.  

Her thoughts were then interrupted by Greeney once more shouting. “Bring the Kneebuster up! If that thing breaks the gates, we need to bring it down quickly!” He commanded, desperation and panic in his voice. 

Four guards quickly scrambled away, running into the village to retrieve whatever this ‘Kneebuster’ was. 

She hoped it would end the fight quickly. 

Her gaze then snapped back to the adult, wanting to keep it in her sight. 

However, before she could the entire platform she stood on shook and Six had to quickly grab on to the wall to stop herself going over the edge. She turned her gaze to where she thought it came from, revealing that the adult had indeed reached the wall...

And was starting to pull the gate, the wood slowly creaking under the monster's strength. 

Several guards started to shout, others quickly scrambling off the walls to get away from the Abomination. 

Six however, simply steeled her gaze. 

She felt the shadows crawl up her hand, slowly solidifying into something sharp. 

The real fight had just begun. 

Chapter Text

(Credit to @AngoDrag0n for their depiction of the adult, The Abomination.)

Six felt the walkway bend slightly more, as the adult pulled with unnatural strength and caused the wood to release groans of protest. She paid it no heed however, her balance unaffected by the shifting wood as she ran across the walkway. 

Straight towards the towering fusion of man and wire. 

Her feet met the bare wood with loud thuds, her speed not slowing as she got closer to where the adult was pulling. The walkway ended a couple of meters in front her, the sudden stop caused by the gate the adult pulled on.  

It didn’t matter to Six of course. 

She quickly vaulted onto the wall, carefully avoiding impaling herself onto the wooden spikes that the walls ended as. 

Then, she leapt towards the adult. 

Her hands found purchase on the adults clothing, the attire ripping slightly just from her grabbing on, yet Six managed to keep her grip firm. Then she began to climb the shaking adult, the thing seemingly too engrossed with its current task of pulling the gate off its hinges to notice her. Once she reached the adult’s shoulder, she stopped and planted her feet before crouching low...

Before launching herself straight into the adult's face, blade first. 

The shadowy blade quickly found purchase in the adult's fleshy blank face and so did Six, as she readjusted herself to climb up the adult's face.  

But just because the thing couldn’t feel pain, didn’t mean it couldn’t feel her stabbing it in the face. 

The Abomination released its grip on the wooden gates, which stayed bent despite the sudden relief. Instead, the adult now brought its twitching and horribly malformed hands up to its face in an attempt to knock her off. Six was faster however, quickly leaping and stabbing the adult in the face again, causing more of the thick blood to pour out which made the adults’ face start to reassemble a melted candle. 

Six then clambered up to the top of the adult's head, stabbing downwards in attempt to see if the thing really didn’t need a brain to live. The adult clawed at her, trying to rid itself of the thing on its head. Though unfortunately for it, the fusions of metal and wood had reduced its flexibility and couldn’t reach the girl effectively. 

So, it tried something else. 

It began shaking its head back and forth like a kicking mule, sending Six into desperate cling to stay footed.  

Unfortunately, it didn’t work and Six found herself being flung backwards wtih speed. Luckily however, the massive antenna sticking out of the adults back was the perfect thing to grab onto and Six found herself clinging to one of the cables that spun around the pole. She took a second to firmly grab the cable before climbing up it slightly to get above the adult. 

Once Six reached above the adult, she jumped off and plunged the blade back into the adults skull. This time the blade went deep and with Six’s momentum, she found it carving a line deep into the adults forehead. 

This also had the unfortunate side effect of letting Six be in range of the adult’s hand. 

The Abomination bent down slightly, allowing it to properly reach its head. Then it swiped at her, a strike that came from behind her and struck her straight in the back. 

Six found herself flying through the air, not at a great speed, but enough that warranted concern. She saw the walls of the village fly under her and the Yellow Devil braced her arms as she saw the ground come towards her. She attempted to roll with the momentum, trying her best to avoid breaking anything else in her body. 

It worked... kind of. 

The girl found her arms and legs suddenly erupting in pain as she rolled side over side, the wound she suffered screaming in protest. Eventually she stopped rolling and propped herself up, despite how her appendages protested to the idea. She lifted her gaze up to the adult that was still checking itself for anything crawling on it, which gave Six enough time to fully stand on her own two feet, still clutching the blade made of shadow.

(Credit to @burbank_talent for their depiction of this scene.)

She heard the sound of arrows being nocked and once more they were let loose, impaling themselves into the adult’s flesh. Six rolled her eyes at the display and felt the shadow morph itself into something much longer and straighter. She then drew her arm back and waited for the adult to try and return to its task of pulling the gate apart. 

Its mangled face showed itself and Six threw the shadowy javelin with precision borne of years of experience. 

Right into the hole created by the rifle. 

Something Six had found about the liquid shadow over the years was just how sharp it could be, the indescribable material able to form edges and points that cut through nearly anything, given enough force. 

Which is what happened with the adult’s skull. 

The javelin went through the already weakened flesh and bone of the twisted skull, spilling more blood and fragments from the gaping hole. The adult staggered once more, less likely from pain and more from the sudden increase in the size of the gaping hole. It clutched at the wound as if to pry the javelin away, but it had already dissipated, leaving no trace of what had caused it. 

Six allowed herself a smile, so it did need its brain. 

Suddenly the thing snapped its head back to the gates, revealing the hole that nearly went through its entire head. Its body shook with something, crackling electricity ran through the pole in its back and Six realized that the creature was focusing on her. 

She’d pissed it off. 

That was good and bad. 

It was good because now the adult would become predictable. 

It was bad because now it would try everything to get to her.  

Which is what it did. 

The adult started bashing down the gates, deciding that resuming its task of pulling the doors off would take too long. The wooden structure buckled under the force, the wood now deforming the other way with the metal that bound them bending with it. Six pulled a face as she watched the thing literally throw itself against the entrance to pursue her.

She might have made it worse. 

Her thoughts were then interrupted by the sound of something rolling up behind her and Six turned to look at the source. 

The source as it turned out, was what Six would guess the ‘Kneebuster’ was. The thing in question was a double-barrel shotgun, eerily similar to that of the Hunter’s with its faded wooden and metal construction. The gun had been strapped to a wooden platform with multiple ropes and what appeared to be belts with metal fixtures, holding it in place. On each side were two wheels that enabled the thing to move, which it was thanks to the four guards from before now pushing it. 

They brought it to a stop a few meters behind her and applied some kind of wooden brake to the wheels. They then stood ready, obviously waiting for another command to come through to continue. Six then heard footsteps next to her and turned to see Alle and then Greeney stand next to her. 

Alle turned to face Six with a slightly annoyed expression. “I saw what you did.” She stated, gesturing to the monster. “You trying to get us all killed?”  

Six ignored the urge to roll her eyes. “That wasn’t my intention.” 

The bodyguard shook her head. “Your intention doesn’t matter, that things going to break the gate down and start destroying everything.” She explained with haste. 

Greeney then butted in before Six could retort. “Then we just have to kill it before it can.” 

Both Alle and Six stared at each other for a second before both reluctantly nodded, seems they had to work together. 

Great.... 

Her thoughts were quickly interrupted by the continued bashing of the gate and Six widened her eyes as she saw the hinges breaking off their screws. She turned to the boy next to her and roughly grabbed him by the scruff of his shirt under the armour, shoving him aside along with her as she shouted. “Move!”  

The boy responded and so did Alle, quickly moving once they realized why she was telling them to do so. 

A moment later, the reason why was revealed. 

The gate came flying off its hinges, the adult clearly not caring how much strength it put into its strikes as the wooden structure literally came crashing towards them. Six felt the wind pass her by as the gate flipped by her, harmlessly avoiding them.  

However, the guards that were behind her weren’t so lucky.  

A piece of the gate crashed into the Kneebuster, forcing it to spin barrel over wheel and sending the guards manning it flying. Some of them rolled, body armour reducing the impact and leaving them with minor bruising and cuts. One of them however, was sent spiraling through the air, body flipping over head before they finally stopped and didn’t move. 

The Kneebuster, thankfully, didn’t go off and instead crashed into a hut on its side with the metal barrel slightly stuck in the wood.  

Six heard the boy next to her loudly curse and the bodyguard released a silent hiss of sympathy and concern.  

Alle then turned to Greeney and pointed at the shotgun. “We need the Kneebuster if we’re gonna bring this down Greeney, get it back here.” She instructed, her tone commanding. 

Greeney looked at the other guards that were trying to get up. “But the-” 

The girl cut him off. “We can’t help them Greeney, not until we get rid of this thing otherwise we’ll die too.” She stated, her tone leaving no room for argument, yet Six could tell she wasn’t a fan of the idea either. 

At least she knew her priorities... 

The guard seemed to hesitate before reluctantly nodding, standing and shouting to the other guards who were shooting at the monster to help him pry the contraption out of the wall. 

Alle then turned to Six and nodded her head towards the Abomination. “We need to slow that thing down before it kills anyone, think you can do that?” 

Six scoffed. “Of course.” 

The girl nodded and drew her sword. “Try and keep up then.” She said, her tone taking on a slight amount of challenge towards her. 

Six took it and formed more of her power into another blade. 

Then the girl moved, Six quickly following after her as they made their way towards the wall. 

The adult finished shoving the other gate aside, the wood splintering as it did so. It stepped into the village with a shuddering stride and Six found the ground shaking slightly as they got closer, managing to make it to the wall before it could see them. Alle then pointed at the adult’s knees as it started to search and wander into the village, slashing her sword horizontally through the air. 

She wanted to injure its joints, bring it low and cripple it. 

Six nodded, it wasn’t the worse idea possible, given the adults already slow speed. 

Alle nodded back, waiting for a few seconds as the adult started to wander towards the huts before breaking into a sprint with Six following behind her. The teen felt her side slightly flare up in protest as she ran, but ignored it in favour of keeping up.  

The adult started to become larger as they approached, the monster taking another step, seemingly unaware of their approach. The distance became shorter and Six readied her shadowy blade as did Alle. 

Then, when they were within arm's length, they struck. 

Alle leapt from her sprint, sword taken in two hands as she slashed across the back of the adults knee, the blade meeting resistance on the adults flesh but the momentum of the girl saw the blade through. A sizeable gash appeared, blood already leaking from the wound and causing the adult to stagger slightly. 

Then, Six struck as well. 

She performed her own leap, but rather than going for another slash, She instead took the blade in two hands to perform a leaping stab. The blade went through the space behind the kneecap, at such an angle that it went through muscle and ligaments. The action caused the adult to suddenly buckle and start to collapse to its injured knee, forcing Six to quickly withdraw the blade. 

The adult collapsed to its knee, the pole in its back forcing it to keep itself straight as it planted a hand to keep itself from falling over.  

Alle took advantage of the crippled adult, quickly moving around it to strike at its exposed neck, leaving a deep gash in the side of it. The malformed Viewer released a twitching groan of a roar that was familiar to Six, as it brought a hand up in a hammer fist to squash the girl. Alle managed to move to the side as the blow came down, making the monster release another sound as it attempted to crush her again.  

Six took advantage of the distraction, quickly maneuvering around the blind side of the creature before taking another leap and stabbing her blade straight into the things neck. The Abomination suddenly leaned forward from the new wound, its focus quickly switching back to Six as it attempted to knock her off, forcing Six to drag the blade out as it swiped where she once was. 

Another slam made Six move as the adult swatted the ground where she was, the adult then following up with a swipe from the same arm and Six was swatted to the ground. She quickly righted herself, just in time to see the hand attempt to swat her, forcing her to roll to avoid being crushed.  

Alle then took advantage of the distraction just like Six had, only this time the guards also seemed to take notice of what they were doing and charged alongside her. The adult suddenly found the blade biting deep into the same wound causing it to spill more blood, whilst three guards thrusted their spears into the monster’s side. 

Another horrible groan was released as it switched its attention to the four, swiping at them withs its full body, causing all but Alle to be knocked away. The girl in question avoided the swipe with a backwards leap but was suddenly caught in the monster's grasp from the other hand coming over.  

The Abomination, despite all the damage it suffered, started to stagger to its feet with the girl in hand. Blood ran down its face and neck, creating a dark stain that ran down the creature's front. Yet despite all that the creature stood seemingly no worse off. Instead, it directed its attention to the girl in its hand and started to apply pressure to crush the girl.  

Alle groaned as the monster tried to crush her, the bone armour she wore cracking under pressure. Six watched with narrowed eyes at the scene, knowing she could quite easily leave the girl to die, it would be no skin off her back. 

But it would be harder to bring the thing down without her assistance. 

So, Six formed the shadow into another javelin and launched it straight at the monster. 

The projectile found its mark, piercing the wrist of the monster with ease and causing its grip to suddenly falter but not stop. That was all Alle needed however, as she brought her sword above her head before striking downwards, chopping into the adult’s thumb with an audible ‘chink’ as metal met bone. She raised it again with great speed and brought it down again, this time the sound of bone splintering heard, as the adult suddenly tried to use its other hand to crush her. 

Alle reacted too quickly however and pushed with her full weight against the thumb, causing it to snap off and allow her to escape. She met the ground with an audible thud, as the adult stared at its now thumbless hand. The girl then ran from the adult, stopping a few meters away and taking deep breaths. She then turned her gaze to Six who stood nearly the opposite side of the monster and nodded a thanks to the yellow clad girl, though she gave no acknowledgement. 

They both then turned their gazes back to the adult as it seemed to regain its bearing, its gaze automatically locking on to Six. The adult then noticed that it was surround on all sides, the guards from before with spears pointing them at the adult, whilst another two drew back bows. 

Six did not turn, but she heard the sound of the shotgun on wheels being finally pried from its position in the hut and turned back to the adult, ready to be used.  

The adult seemed to pause in its single-minded hatred for Six, its twitching lessening for a few seconds as if something was happening within itself. Then, the twitching increased again, this time to a frightening degree and the TV in its chest once more began to release ear-piercing static.  

Six felt her eyes widen as she recognized the sound, knowing what the adult was about to do and so did Greeney. 

“Stop it, quickly! Before it kills us all!” Greeney shouted, his voice panicked yet commanding. 

Everything happened at once, the guards with bows drawing them back quickly and releasing them along with the guards who wielded spears throwing their weapons in a desperate attack. Alle made to charge the Abomination and Six swung her shadow into another waving attack that struck the adult. 

All of this happened at once, causing more damage and blood to spill from the already injured adult. 

Yet it did not stop. 

The Viewer released an ear-splitting scream as it once more snapped its head back, the TV once more releasing a wave of energy. Six prepared herself and slapped her hands over her ears to stop the noise, but something else happened once the wave collided with her. 

Six suddenly found the world tilting, her eyes becoming unfocused and her feet unable to keep her steady. She fell to her hands and knees, her stomach doing backflips as her breakfast attempted to exit her throat. She clenched her fists and gritted her teeth, forcing herself to not throw up and instead breathed heavily through her mouth in an attempt to calm the nausea.  

Even though she didn’t look, Six could tell the others around her were struggling with the same feeling, if the sound of retching and vomiting were any indication. The teen took a few more deep breaths before she felt the ground under her hands jolt slightly as the adult moved. Despite how her body felt, Six lifted her head and saw the adult was right above her, seeming to stare at her with an unknown look before it raised its foot and brought it down. 

The Yellow Devil rolled away from the rotted shoe that attempted to crush her, feeling her stomach protest against it and Six felt a bit of bile in her throat as she finished. She once more raised her head to look at the adult, seeing it adjust itself slightly and seemingly decide to crush her with its hands as it hunched over in a stiff way. 

Six pushed herself onto her back and crawled backwards slightly as the adult barely missed squashing her under its palm. The Abomination released a shuddering growl before it reached out for her again. It was stopped however, once a spear pierced the hand, sending blood splattering everywhere. Six stared at the spear for a second, wondering where it came from before realizing that the other end of the spear had a rope connected to it. 

Her gaze followed the rope and saw who had thrown it, the realization making her eyes widen slightly. 

Renny. 

What the hell was he doing here? As far as she was aware he was a non-combatant, not trained to fight. Indeed the boy's face spoke of fear, clearly not wanting to do what he did, yet his face also spoke of something that made him do so, a resolve of some kind. Then, Six noticed the rope go taut and begin to pull and her gaze further followed the rope to where it began. 

The rope began at a hand-cracked winch that was fastened to the ground near a hut, the rope pulled around a drum as it was slowly spun by two individuals, Stub and Netty. Six felt even more confusion at what was happening, they clearly didn’t want to be here, so why were they getting involved? 

Her musings were interrupted however, by the sound of the adult releasing a slightly agitated sound as its hand was slowly dragged towards the winch, causing it to suddenly start pulling to prevent so. The boys suddenly found the crank going in the opposite direction and began to dig their heels into the ground in an attempt stop it.  

Renny then quickly ran up to them, adding his own strength to the mix as the adult began to pull more on the rope, a short struggle breaking out between them. Unfortunately, at the end of the day something had to give and in this case with the adult's strength, the winch gave first. 

There was a horrible sound of metal being torn asunder, causing the boys to let go of the winch as it was ripped form the ground, causing dirt and metal to go flying as the winch rocketed towards the adult. The adults' hand went sidewards with sudden tension released, causing the winch to go in an arc and smash into another home, completely destroying the front. 

Despite not being able to see their expressions at this distance, Six could tell they weren’t ones of joy. 

The abomination released a low grumbling sound from its throat, turning once more to look at Six. It stopped however, once a blade was thrown directly into its calf, quickly followed by a girl pulling it free from the flesh. 

Alle stood underneath the Viewer, its gaze switching to her and allowing Six to quickly stand once more as the adult attempted to crush the bodyguard once more. The girl rolled under the adult as it brought its foot down, turning to track her and pulling the winch free from the home, sending it flying in an arc once more.  

The girl created distance between her and the adult before having to evade the winch as it came flying towards her by ducking. The ducking made her stall however, causing the adult to advance towards her intent on squashing her. Luckily Six formed another blade and ran, slashing at the adult's leg in attempt to distract it. 

However, instead of turning like it had done before the adult kicked its leg back, hitting Six and sending her sprawling.  Six felt pain burn in her chest and side, the blow having knocked the wind out of her with how much force it struck her with. The Viewer then turned to face her, raising its hand with the spear still stuck in it and swinging it overhead, causing the winch to follow. 

Six felt her eyes widen, it seemed as though the adult managed to figure out how to use the winch as a weapon and intended to use it as such. Thankfully the adults aim was poor and missed the girl by a few inches, though it still left a sizeable hole in the ground. The Abomination decided not to pull the winch back after that, instead resuming its approach to her with a stomp. 

Six then heard the sound of footsteps approach quickly, barefoot against dirt...

And a hatchet blade then sunk into the adult’s shin. 

The effect was instant, the adult suddenly tripping forward from the blow and falling onto its hand and knees. Six took advantage of it immediately, quickly standing as the adult fell and running under it to the other side. Once she was clear of the adult she turned and readied herself, now noticing who had swung the hatchet. 

Mono. 

He stood underneath the monster, quickly tearing the hatchet from the monster's flesh as it tried to grab him, quickly backing up and sliding next to Six with both hands on the weapon. Six gave him a suspicious look with a raised eyebrow, why had he intervened? 

He answered her question without her asking. “Don’t think for even a second that I saved you out of the goodness of my heart.” He stated, his voice loud and hate filled. “I did it so you could help get rid of this thing, nothing more.” 

Realization sparked in her mind, her very own logic used against her. 

She didn’t complain however, it was her own reasoning after all. 

Instead, she focused her gaze on the adult as it pushed itself back upright. Alle then appeared next to her, sword ready as she stared at the monster with a silent glare. 

“That TV needs to be destroyed before it knocks us down again.” Mono declared, his hate still present yet he seemed to stifle it for the moment. 

Six released a sound of agreement, knowing it was true but wondering how to go about it. 

Alle spoke up before she could ask. “And then what? We can disable it but how do we kill this thing?” she asked, gesturing at it. “It doesn’t react to anything we do.” 

The Yellow Devil thought for but a second before her eyes landed on the shotgun that sat still on the opposite side of the monster just waiting to be used. She raised her free hand and pointed at it, the other two following and turning to her.  

“The Kneebuster...” Alle said slowly, nodding as she did before locking eyes with Six. “Think you can get in position?” 

Six nodded. “Think you can bring it down again?” 

Alle raised an eyebrow whilst Mono scoffed. “Of course.” He stated. “Just make sure you get it ready.” 

The urge to bite back at him was high but decided it wasn’t worth it at the moment. Instead, she readied herself to run but not before she whispered something to Mono. 

“Why haven’t you use used your powers?” She inquired, hissing it out with annoyance. 

The boy seemed to hesitate for a moment before speaking in his own whisper. “I don’t have to answer to you.” 

Six rolled her eyes, let him have his cowardly secrets then. 

She returned her eyes to the adult as it stepped towards them, quickly breaking off into a sprint around the outside of the adult. Its head tracked her and dragged its arm forward, intent on using the winch connected to it once more. The monster however, had taken its eyes off the other two present, though it was quickly reminded of them once two blades bit deep into its legs. 

The monster stumbled slightly before kicking its legs in an arc and then proceeding to stomp around in an attempt to squash the teens. They quickly moved around it, the adult becoming distracted with them and allowing Six to reach the shotgun.  

The Kneebuster was still being accompanied by Greeney and two guards, though they lay on the ground still trying to get their bearings from the last blast. Six shook her head, these were supposed to be guards? They could barely deal with an upset stomach.  

Regardless, Six went about undoing the latches that kept the Kneebuster from rolling too much and also probably kept it from zooming away when fired. The sound however, caused Greeney to look up from his staring contest with the ground to look at her with a suspicious glare.  

“What do you think you’re doing?” He questioned with slight agitation. 

Six didn’t look at him as she replied. “Your job, since you can’t seem to do it.” Her voice sounding annoyed. 

The boy shook his head as he managed to get himself into a kneeling position. “You can’t move the Kneebuster on your own, it takes at least three people to-” 

His words were interrupted however, once Six used her shadowy powers to grab ahold of the platform and began to slowly pull the shotgun on wheels behind her, slowly maneuvering it into position. The girl who pulled the Kneebuster felt herself slightly strained as she pulled the platform, knowing that she was running low on power and guessing she only had enough for one more use. 

Still, she slowly pulled the thing closer and closer to the Abomination, as the monster continued to try and crush the pair that took turns slashing at its legs. Six then heard Someone running past her and in the corner of her eye saw Greeney with bow in hand a good distance away from her, seemingly trying to decide what to do. 

Six then refocused her gaze forward as she pulled the gun, just in time to see Mono get his hatchet stuck in the Viewers foot. 

The boy had obviously been aiming to cut deep into the adult’s foot in an attempt to bring it down, but he had aimed too high and it had resulted in the blade biting deep into bone and becoming stuck. He struggled to pull it free and that gave time for the adult to bend down strike the boy in the side, freeing the hatchet but also sending him to the ground.  

Mono laid on the ground for not even a second before he tried to get back up, his gaze turning upwards as the adult stomped towards him, only one more step from crushing him. Alle charged the monster in an attempt to distract it, but this time even as she slashed at its heels it gave her no heed and merely kept walking. 

Six stared for a second, wondering if Mono was genuinely about to die before a shout from Greeney on her right interrupted her. An arrow then soared through the air, very much aimed for the adult and intent on dealing absolutely zero damage to it. However, by some miracle the arrow didn’t hit flesh and instead managed to hit one of the exposed wires on the thing’s neck, causing it to snap.  

A spark of energy was all that came of the attack, yet it seemed to cause some kind of distress to the Viewer as it snapped its head backwards to the boy much faster than anything else it had done. Its head twitched angrily at the boy, before it turned with surprising speed and lifted its arm again in an overhead swing that made the winch follow again.  

The boy’s eyes widened at the attack, his feet refusing to move, still dizzy from the blast and mind still fogged. His body welled with panic, he was about to be in a world of pain, he was going to be split open, he was going to die, he was going to- 

He felt himself being pushed to the side by a thing that felt indescribable, like someone had made the cold that bit into the bones a physical thing. He hit the ground with an audible thud, having been pushed a good distance away, which was good as the sound of metal hitting ground was quickly heard. He shook his head, trying to clear his mind before he raised his head and looked around.  

The first thing he noticed was that the girl known as Six was only just starting to retract her body from an outwards pose of her thrusting her hand forward, as if she had thrown something... 

His eyes widened.  

Had she used whatever that.... thing was to save him? But why? 

His thoughts were interrupted as the winch that was still connected to the adult suddenly started to careen towards the raincoat girl, the adult swinging its arm to do so. The girl reacted quickly, jumping backwards as the winch dragged past her, kicking up dirt in the process. The adult then started to move its arm back to strike again, but suddenly found the line cut as Alle jumped and slashed the rope, finally separating it.  

The adult paused for a second as the line was cut, as if something was once again occurring inside it. Then, the adult started to twitch again and the sound of static once more began to play through the air from the Abomination’s chest.  

Mono felt his eyes widen, if that the thing set itself off again then he would be experiencing all that pain again! 

And he didn’t want that. 

So, he began to charge the monster from behind, intent on butchering it. However before he could, the sound of something whistling through the air was heard, followed by the sound of glass cracking. The adult suddenly stopped twitching and looked down, the sound of static stopping yet Mono didn’t know why. 

Alle knew, however. 

A spear, thrown cleanly through the air and hitting the TV dead center where it remained, the glass surrounding it cracking into a web. From a few meters away Six nodded, her aim once again proving itself.  

The adult then started to hunch over, its bloodied and battered hands slowly reaching for the spear as if to remove it.  

Alle beat it before it could. 

The slight hunched posture of the adult allowed Alle to take a running start and leap at the adult, dropping her sword in favour of grabbing the spear. The weapon bent slightly as it held her weight and the glass creaked slightly but neither broke. That allowed Alle to swing her whole body forward and plant her feet on the TV before pushing with them against it. 

Glass broke as she did and the girl found herself flying through the air as the spear was pulled free from its place. Alle landed an arm’s length away from the monster, glass shards scattering around her as she did, exposing the horrible interior of the TV. 

Where one would expect wire and machine was now taken up by a combination of the former and the addition of horribly mutated flesh. Veins worked alongside cabling, muscles pulled and held the box in place and electricity worked its way around the flesh, as if it needed it to work.  

And at the center of it all stood the worst sight of all... 

A single eye, much bigger than any adult would have sat in the middle of the box, its gaze jumping wildly around from point to point. 

There was a moment of silence, as those that saw the sight took it in with some of them heaving once more. 

Greeney broke it however, by speaking what clearly needed saying. 

“That ain’t right.” He spoke, his voice filled with disgust as he drew back his bow and let loose another arrow. 

Straight into the eye. 

The sound of flesh rupturing was heard as the eye was suddenly impaled, the arrow inside swinging about wildly as the eye spasmed. The twisted Viewer for the first time reacted to something, releasing a hollow moan of pain as it clutched at its head in apparent pain. That gave Alle an opening, as she picked herself up and grabbed her sword before running under the adult and quickly cutting at the monster’s heel. 

Mono saw what his friend was doing and followed her lead, swinging his hatchet straight into the other heel, the blade biting deep.  

The monster stumbled forward once more from the blows, the constant onslaught of attacks against its legs proved its worth, as they gave out and the monster fell forward face first. 

It hit the ground with an audible crash, blood leaking out of its face at an increased rate as it weakly attempted to push itself off the ground. In its mind the creature was alone, cold and felt nothing. Where was the signal? Where was its warm embrace? It felt awful, everything around it felt wrong and miserable, like an illness that seeped into the soul.  

Then, a sound reached its ears as it lifted its head, its eyeless gaze starting directly into two steel barrels. 

A girl stood next to the barrels a few steps away, a rope in hand that led to the shotgun’s trigger. There was a moments pause for the adult, as it stared into what would be its death. 

Then Six turned and pulled the rope with all her might. 

And the Abomination’s head exploded. 

Buckshot ripped through the monster's face with explosive force, the close range of the blast ensuring that no part of the head was safe. Blood, bone and brain matter was sent flying in spectacular arcs that covered a wide angle behind and to the sides of the blast, staining the earth. It all happened within a second, the air ringing with a sound that made Six’s ears bleed with a familiar pain. 

Then finally, there was silence. 

Six released a sigh from her mouth, staring at the still twitching body of the adult as it lay there, leaking its life essence into the ground. The girl then moved herself over to the winch that had been ripped from the ground and now lay in a heap of twisted metal, sitting herself down upon it. She allowed her body to relax the tension from the encounter, exhaustion creeping into her being. 

That had taken more effort than it should have, especially since she had... intervened to save the boy. 

Her mind played the decision back, trying to answer the question that she had asked the instant it happened. 

Why had she saved him?  

He didn’t matter to her, he was a random kid, someone who Six would forget about in a few days. Yet when she saw the boy about to be crushed by the very thing she sat on, she had acted and used her last remaining bit of strength to push him away, even when it would have been better served slaying the monster. 

She would have further questioned herself, if not for the arrival of three familiar faces. 

The Brothers. 

Renny quickly slid in front of her with a concerned look whilst the over two hovered over her. 

“Are you alright Six?” He asked, his voice firm yet worried. 

Six nodded her head once at the boy. “I’m fine, just winded and sore.” She told the boy before her eyes narrowed slightly.  

“Why did you get involved?” She questioned with annoyance. “Your help wasn’t needed, you just made the situation worse...” She said, gesturing to the winch she sat on. 

The boy stuttered for a moment at her words before replying. “Well, what was I supposed to do? Just leave you to die?” He asked incredulously. 

The Yellow Devil scoffed at the boy. “I would have been fine; I’ve lived through worse.” She told the boy. 

Renny moved to argue more before he sighed. “I know, I know, you’ve said but...” He trailed off, uncertain on how to proceed. 

Six stared at the boy a moment before she rubbed her eyes, she knew that boy hadn’t intended to make the problem worse, he had simply intervened believing she would die. The boy had also prevented her from enduring another injury, so he had helped. 

So, Six sighed and looked at the boy. “I... appreciate the help, even if it wasn’t necessary.” She said with a slight amount of genuine sincerity. 

The boy perked up at that and smiled. “You’re welcome Six.” He replied. 

A nod was given back, before Netty spoke up on her right.  

“Why did you help in the first place?” He asked, his voice confused. “You could have just hid like the rest of us, you didn’t need to help kill it.”  

Six frowned at that question, her eyes darting away from the boy as her mind processed the question. She then opened her mouth to reply but was interrupted by another voice. 

“Six?” The boy known as Greeney asked as he stepped into view in front of her, a weary look on his face. 

The girl in yellow looked at the boy with a raised eyebrow, what did he want? 

He seemed to sense her confusion. “I wanted to thank you for saving me.... and for helping kill this thing.” He said, gesturing to the bloodied corpse of the monster whilst he leaned on his spear. 

“You didn’t need to help, yet you put yourself in harm's way to bring this thing down.” He stated with a tired smile. “I’d say for that we owe you a bit of gratitude.” 

Six wanted to tell the boy that his gratitude and thanks were misplaced, that she had done this to save her own skin from this monster, that she knew it had wanted her because of her powers. Yet another part of her told her not to, not the part that looked out for herself to survive but a different part that told her to simply accept the thanks.  

So she did and nodded at the boy. 

Then, there was the sound of more footsteps approaching, followed by another kid speaking. “I think we agree with you Greeney!”  

Six turned along with the others, noticing it was some of the guards that had helped defend the village who approached them. The one who spoke, a boy, smiled at Six with gratitude.  “You did a good thing saving good ol’ Greeney and bringing that thing down.” He said, flashing a thumb at the monster. 

“So.... I think you deserve some praise and cheers for that!” He said, turning to the guards around him who all made sounds of agreement and looked at Six with similar smiles. 

The Yellow Devil made a confused face and turned to Renny, wanting an explanation.  

Renny simply smiled and nodded his head towards the gathered guards. “You saved one of their own without expecting anything, to them that makes you a good person, a hero.” 

Six felt herself physically flinch from those words as they left the boy’s mouth. 

A hero. 

The girl felt her mouth pull itself into a frown, a bad taste souring in her mouth. 

She didn’t like that word being used on her, not in any context. 

Still, she said nothing and simply watched as the guards surrounded them and formed a circle with Greeney and the brothers, beginning to talk amongst each other. 

Six herself merely kept to herself as they talked, simply focusing on recovering her strength and only talking when the guards asked her a question either about herself or her powers. She only told them simple answers yet they didn’t seem to mind and simply kept smiling, some of them talking about how mysterious and cool she seemed. 

Time passed as they talked, the rest of the kids who inhabited the village emerging from their homes to see what had happened. They gathered in a crowd around the monster, talking amongst themselves in either hushed whispers or voices of joy at the adult falling.  

Six ignored them, to her it was nothing new seeing an adult stone cold and dead, though she supposed they hadn’t seen anything like that before. Instead, she merely kept resting and listening as Renny told the guards about how she had brought down the adult named ‘Skullface’ at the cabin. Six felt like shaking her head as the boy explained the story, making it sound much grander than it was. 

She didn’t stop him though. 

Soon enough more footsteps approached the group, revealing Ardy along with Jess and Nev approaching them, the latter two quickly running up to Greeney and hugging him, much to his dismay. They were quickly brought up to speed on what had happened, resulting in Ardy once more thanking her and Jess giving Six a quick hug that she ended much sooner when the yellow clad girl glared at her. 

A few more minutes passed and Six felt rested enough, standing from her makeshift seat with a crack from both her knees and neck. As she did, she felt a hand tap her on her shoulder, turning to find Stub with her backpack in his hand. She nodded thanks to him as she took it from his hands, slipping only one of the straps on. 

The girl then turned to face the rest of the group, finding them to be once more looking at her with appreciative smiles that she wasn’t used to. Renny seemed to notice her discomfort and laid a hand on her shoulder, giving her a wide smile. “You helped save a lot of people Six, I think you deserve a little celebration for it.” 

“Indeed, you did.” 

The new voice that spoke caused those surrounding Six to part slightly, revealing Mono and Alle who stood a few steps away, the boy setting his hatchet down on the ground. Six felt her face morph itself into a scowl at the sight of the boy, his voice had a sarcastic tone behind it that made her hatred burn slightly. 

Mono gave Six a good hard look before he spoke. “You helped bring down that monster and you did it without hurting anyone.” He said with sarcasm and an unamused grin in his words. “I’m impressed.” 

His eyes then shifted behind his mask into a glare. “But now that you’ve ‘helped’ us, you're not needed anymore. So do me a favour....” He pointed in the direction of the broken gate.  

“And leave.” 

Six felt her hatred burn slightly more at those words, a retort built up in her throat yet she forced it back down. He wanted her gone? Fine, she would leave and finally be rid of having to endure his constant accusations. 

So, she made to leave, fastening the other strap over her shoulder. 

Yet, she stopped when Renny spoke up. 

“Boss? Ain’t you bein’ a little unfair to Six?” He said, his words coming out slightly confused and hurt. “Doesn’t she deserve a thanks from you?” 

The bag-headed boy turned to the older brother, staring at him in silence before he spoke, words laced with silent anger. “No Renny, I won’t be thanking her.” 

Renny stuttered for a moment at hearing Mono’s hate-laced words. “But Boss... She helped save the village, she nearly died doing so, surely-” 

“Renny.” Mono interrupted, his voice sharp with anger pouring through. “You’re already in trouble for getting involved in the fighting, don’t make it worse by supporting her.” 

“But Boss...” Renny started, his voice uncertain from never hearing the boy speak this way. 

“Renny enough!” Mono stated, his voice rising a level in volume that made many of those around him flinch. He then turned to Greeney and nodded his head towards Renny. “Greeney, please escort the Brothers away, they’re making a scene.” 

Greeney didn’t move or say anything at the boy's order, he simply remained silent as his eyes seemed to fill with uncertainty. 

A moment passed, silence drenching the air. 

“Greeney?” Mono asked, confusion and annoyance in his voice. 

The boy in question raised his eyes to Mono and shook his head. “Sorry Boss, but no.... Renny's right.” He replied, voice low yet filled with conviction. 

Mono seemed taken aback by the boy’s words before he stared at him angrily. “Greeney....” He warned angrily. 

Greeney pointed to Six exasperatedly. “Boss! She helped bring that thing down without expecting anything, she helped save a lot of people!” He then gestured to himself. “Heck, she saved me!” 

“Yeah!” Nev agreed, his upbeat little voice filled with anger. 

The bag-headed boy shook his head with anger at them. “You don’t understand who you’re defending, Six isn’t a good person, she’s a monster who-” 

“A monster ?” Jess asked incredulously, her usually bubbly voice turning accusatory. “I think you might have the wrong person Boss.”  

“Yeah! You got the wrong person!” Another guard next to Six said, leading to the rest of them making sounds of agreement and staring at Mono with looks of ire, expecting something from him. 

The small crowd of people around Six, including Ardy, who looked at their leader with expectant glares, more than likely wanting an apology from the boy for what he had said. Mono seemed to stare at them with disbelief for a second before something seemed to click in his mind. 

“You planned this didn’t you Six?” He asked, his voice filled with suspicion and anger. “You got my people to turn against me, to switch to your side, to bring me down so you could see me hurt, didn’t you?” 

“Mono...?” Alle asked, concern entering her voice as his words became more frenzied. 

“You wanted this all along didn’t you Six? You wanted to see me suffer because I’d have to hurt those I considered friends.” He spoke with words that became filled with paranoid delusion. 

He pointed an accusatory finger at the girl hidden behind the others. “You couldn’t just leave me alone, could you?!” He shouted, his voice reaching a feverish pitch. “You just have to keep making my life a living hell, don’t you?!” 

Mono leaned his head forward, an unhinged look in his eyes. “I won’t let you Six! You hear me?! I won’t-” 

“Shut up!”  

Six raised her voice up to a shout, a thing she had never done in nearly five years that promptly shut the boy up. 

She was sick of hearing his nonsense. 

The Yellow Devil pushed herself past those that stood in front of her, quickly making her way to stand in front of the boy with a look of resentment and hatred on her face. 

“You think you’re the center of the world, don’t you? You think that just because you suffered that makes everything you do free of blame?” She asked, pointing a finger into his chest. 

“It doesn’t” She stated, her words filled with a knowing experience. “Yet you did things to me, to those that you ‘care’ about, all because you of your pettiness.” 

The boy stared at her with barely contained anger. “Pettiness...?” 

“I know what you did Mono.” She spoke with venom, eyes narrowed into slits. “Yet you still think I'm the monster? That I'm the one to blame for everything that happened?”  

Her finger pointed itself directly into the bag on his head. “You can’t understand, can you?” she asked with fake humor “Let me repeat what I said last time then...” 

“EVERYTHING is your fault Mono, you’re the monster here, not me.” 

“You’re just like them-” 

Pain exploded in her left cheek and Six found herself stepping back slightly in pain as she felt blood in her mouth. Gasps of shock left the mouths of those that surrounded them and Six looked up at the boy as she wiped blood from the corner of her mouth.  

Mono’s fist remained in place from where he had punched her and after a couple of tense seconds straightened himself with a look of fury on his face. 

“You shut the fuck up Six....” He spoke with words made of pure, unrestrained anger. 

Six snorted at the boy, an unamused grin on her lips. “No.” 

The boy cracked his jaw, a sound that made many cringe. “Then I’ll make you.” 

He then looked at those that surround him, the crowd of kids that looked on with looks of concern and weariness.  

“Make room!” He commanded. 

The crowd seemed to pause for a second before they started to move, starting to form a circle around them. The guards that surrounded Six also seemed to hesitate before they too moved, forming an inner barrier that separated the crowd from them. 

Six knew what was about to happen. 

Yet she didn’t care. 

Instead, she merely slipped off her bag and handed it to the Brothers behind her that looked on with great concern, their voices speaking out, yet she didn’t hear them.  

She was too focused on the boy in front of her. 

Like her he stood with a resolved look, slipping off his coat and handing it to Alle, who looked on with great uncertainty. Underneath it revealed the green shirt he wore, similar to the one he wore all those years ago. 

It also revealed the brown suspenders that kept his pants up. 

In any other situation Six would have found herself scoffing, he was still wearing those things? Yet she didn’t, instead preparing herself for what was about to happen. 

Which was not helped by her shadow. 

Six! The shadow hissed in her mind, its voice filled with concern. I know he’s said a lot of stuff and he’s proved that he hurt you, but you can’t do this, it won’t-  

‘No.’ She told the shadow. ‘No excuses, he brought this on himself.’ 

Six then clenched her hands in preparation, taking a calming breath before she raised her fists in front of her. The boy mirrored her, his longer arms further in front of him. Then, they both moved, each taking steps towards the other. 

Their bare feet met dirt, kicking it up and staining their feet with the earth. They both reached a distance that neither made smaller, choosing instead to begin circling each other. Their eyes met in hate filled gazes, those around them watching with batted breath as they prepared to strike. 

There was a moment of silence as both kept circling each other, waiting for the other to move, to make a mistake. 

Mono acted first. 

He struck quickly, throwing a jab that meant to test her.  

She dodged it easily. 

His fist returned to in front of him and the boy threw another jab with the other hand. 

She dodged again. 

Then he threw another. 

She dodged. 

Then another. 

And another. 

AND another. 

Eventually, she responded. 

He threw another jab and Six dodged, but this time she dodged inwards, infiltrating his guard and throwing a cross into his side. The boy groaned in pain yet he didn’t flinch, instead choosing to bring his other fist around in a haymaker to crush her. Six ducked it and despite it not hitting her, she could feel the power behind it making the air bend. 

A reminder to not get hit by him. 

Instead, she retaliated and threw a few jabs into his stomach, making him bend down slightly in pain. She acted on the weakness, throwing an uppercut into the boy's chin that made him stumble back. He regained himself quickly and raised his hand to wipe away blood under his mask. The action also caused Six to see the scar on his hand, a reminder of what had happened. 

She ignored it. 

Instead, she refocused on Mono as he approached her once more, anger in his face. He threw a cross at her and Six dodged again, only to find another one coming at her quicker than she expected. On instinct, she raised her arm to prevent the blow, her arm protesting from the sheer strength behind it.

She knew already that blocking it was a mistake. 

The boys’ hand shifted quickly, grabbing at her shoulder and applying painful pressure. Her shoulder screamed in protest and Six threw a jab into his face to make him let go, yet he didn’t. Instead, he grabbed her other shoulder with this hand and drove his knee into her stomach.  

Six felt the air leave her lungs yet she didn’t fall to her knees, merely gasping for breath on her legs. She was sent sprawling however, once the boy punched her in the face. 

The sheer strength of the blow immediately floored her and Six felt the dirt in her face as her lips spilt open, more blood pouring out, the sounds of gasp and winches surrounding her. 

Yet she knew not to stay still. 

She rolled immediately, avoiding the stomp that threatened to crush her ribs into fragments. Mono followed up with a kick that connected, sending pain up her back that made her grit her teeth. The boy made to stomp on her again and Six reacted, quickly throwing a kick into this knee that made the boy cry out in pain and kneel slightly. 

The Yellow Devil acted, picking herself up and throwing herself at the boy, quickly mounting his back. Mono released a shout, standing from his kneeling position and trying to dislodge the girl that had her legs wrapped around his torso. Six ignored as the boy scratched at her legs, focusing instead on his head as she brought her elbow up and slammed it into his neck. 

Mono reacted as she expected, head tilting forward from the painful blow. So, she did it again, forcing him lower. 

Then, she did it again and the boy decided he had enough. 

His hands gripped her legs with an iron grasp and in an impress display of agility for his size, the boy leaned forward and jumped, rolling onto his back with his full weight coming crashing on her. 

Six felt pain explode in her chest as she took all his weight, the boy taking advantage of the momentary lapse and quickly forcing himself atop her, his masked face staring down at her. His hand reached for her throat yet Six didn’t let him reach it this time, as she grabbed his wrists and wrestled him. He was clearly stronger than her, yet it didn’t matter to Six as she brought her fist back quickly to deliver a blow directly to the boy’s solar plexus. 

She was winning. 

Mono gasped in pain from the blow and stumbled slightly, giving Six enough room to deliver a kick to get him off her. 

Six knew already that despite his strength and reach he wasn’t as experienced as her, so many years of travelling had hardened her, turned her into a machine that could beat down anyone. Mono was a leader, someone who commanded others to fight harder, correctly and whilst he had fought, he never did it to her level.  

The girl knew this from the first blows he threw, as she charged the boy and threw another punch directly into his face. Mono stumbled again and threw a cross at her, something she ducked under and grabbed, forcing it against his chest as she punched him in the face again. He growled in annoyance and forced her off him, quickly grabbing her arm and pulling her towards him. 

Yet she didn’t resist, instead moving with the boy and jumping, delivering another kick to the same side she had punched. The boy released a grunt of pain and crumpled slightly, leaning down and giving Six another opportunity.  

She acted on it, bringing her fist up again in a haymaker that sent the boy spinning slightly and causing him to spit blood. 

Six snorted as those observing watched with wide eyes, did he really think he could beat her? 

It didn’t matter, Six would beat him, make him realize she was better than him and those around him would also know.  

She could finally leave. 

But as those thoughts passed through her mind, a memory sprang up, a memory of a conversation she had with a certain boy. 

“A lot of people here follow the Boss because he’s simply strong and strength like that means protection, so that’s why they follow him.”   

Six could see where this was going. “And if someone beats who you believed was the strongest...” She started.   

“Then you would follow them instead.” Renny finished for her, shaking his head at the end.  

Six felt panic ripple through her body at the memory. 

They would follow her... 

That... wasn’t good. 

Six was a loner, someone who travelled alone to avoid complications that could arise when traveling with another and because of.... past history. She couldn’t deal with leading a bunch of kids, that wasn’t her, she was the Yellow Devil!  

She’d have to tell them that Mono was still in charge, that she didn’t want to be their leader, that she only wanted to prove a point to the boy.  

But would they listen? 

The kids here relied on Mono’s strength, his leadership to keep them safe, if Six disrupted that then they would undoubtedly begin to follow her and she doubted they’d listen even if she told them not to. Even if they didn’t follow, all of them would begin to doubt the boy, they’d start to fall apart and squabble amongst each other about who really should lead them. 

It would create chaos for them. 

For all of them. 

The Brothers, Ardy, Greeney, all those that supported her had done her no wrong, she had not wanted any suffering placed on their heads, quite the opposite. Yet, if she won now, the outcome would undoubtedly create it for them. 

And Six didn’t want that. 

She wasn’t like him. 

She was better than him. 

So, as much as the idea pained Six to her very core, she had to do something that would guarantee nothing would happen. 

You’re gonna throw the fight, aren't you? Her shadow commented, as the boy before her wiped the blood from his mouth again. 

Six grimaced. ‘Yes.’ 

The shadow sighed in her mind. This wouldn’t have happened if you listened to me, yet you tried to be the ‘better’ one didn’t you?  

She scoffed mentally at the shadow. ‘You don’t think he deserves it?’ 

The shadow remained silent at that, knowing that the boy’s actions were not right. Instead, it commented on something else. You gonna have to make it convincing you know?  

Six nodded, she did know. 

With that, the shadow became silent and Six stepped forward as Mono did as well.  

The boy regarded her for a second and Six decided to be aggressive, throwing a jab that the boy blocked easily. Then she threw a cross that caught the boy’s chin, yet the boy reacted quick enough to grab the hand. Six pulled with a lack of effort, pretending to want to escape that made Mono act. 

He threw a blow into her ribs that made her gasp in pain and she grabbed the offending limb, trying to keep it in place. The boy seemed to raise an eyebrow behind his mask, as he brought it crashing into her face. Six felt pain explode in her face, blood once more leaking from the corners of her mouth. 

Okay, so far it had worked, now she just needed to- 

He struck faster than Six expected, delivering another blow to her side with his unexpected strength. 

Her injured side. 

Six felt something break inside her, followed by something wet coating her side. The girl reacted on instinct once more, throwing a kick directly into the boy’s knee again that made him stagger enough to shove him off her. 

The Yellow Devil quickly clutched her side, very much feeling the wet wound underneath all the clothing that spilled blood freshly.  

Mono had split it open. 

That wasn’t.... what she wanted. 

Her attention was shifted away as the boy approached again, forcing Six to defend herself with an obvious hindrance. 

The bag-headed boy threw a cross that Six ducked under again, her side flaring up in pain as she did. The boy then lifted an arm above his head and brought it down in a hammer arm that Six managed to dodge, but the boy followed it up with another cross that sent her spinning. 

Six shook her head to get rid of the pain that plagued it, this wasn’t going as she expected. 

Mono was on her before she knew it, reaching out and grabbing her, forcing Six to push at him to get him off. The boy didn’t like that, as he drove a knee into her bleeding side. Six felt something burn as he did so, the action forcing Six to cough and spit blood into his shirt. 

Mono then grabbed her arm and delivered another punch, Six finding herself going flying and rolling a couple of times. Pain coursed throughout her right side and head, a fog setting into her mind that made it difficult to think. Yet despite all that, Six forced herself to get up and stare at the boy.  

He stared right back at her, an unknown look in his eyes that Six couldn’t decipher. Mono then charged at her, putting his whole body into an attack that was intended to force her to dodge, to get a reaction that he would expect. 

Six didn’t dodge. 

Instead, she merely stood and watched as the boy got closer, his fist rising to strike. 

She still didn’t move. 

 The boy seemed to widen his eyes as he threw the fist at her, though Six couldn’t be sure. 

All she knew was that for a brief second, she felt pain explode in her face. 

Then, all she knew was darkness.

A few miles away, a light dimmed before shutting off. 

The light was one of many, a drop of water in an ocean, a single atom in a molecule, a single star in a universe. It was something that nobody would notice going missing, something that hardly needed attention and was nearly impossible to notice. 

But something did notice. 

Because it was the one who made the lights... 

Its eternal and multi-eyed gaze swung in the direction of the silenced light, feeling as it faded away. The light was one of many that had passed and would pass, it knew that and it hardly cared that they did. 

No, it cared because of what if felt. 

A tiny imprint upon the surface of the lights surface, a feeling of something that had tried to take a piece of the Broadcast, a power with great potential. 

Her power. 

If the being possessed a face to smile with it would. 

Finally, she had been found.... 

Its gaze swung away from the light, its existence ignored in favor of focusing on something much more important. The girl had been found, after so long. 

Plans had to be made, to ensure that everything was returned to how it should be. 

And that meant contacting the others. 

It knew they had to be contacted, they had a hand in this too, for it was their design. So, with a command it sent a single light out, to travel to where the wind was always blowing. 

Always hunting. 

The other one would not need a light for it already had one, it knew that. 

Now, all it needed to do was wait. 

Wait for everything to fall into place. 

Chapter Text

-forcing her to step to the side as the blade cut the floor where she once stood.  

The girl felt fear entering her body from the blow, knowing that he now had an advantage and a pretty big one at that. The boy quickly recovered from the missed attack, stepping forward and swinging it in an arc that skimmed past Six’s head.  

Six felt the blade cut the edges of her raincoat's hood but she ignored the fear that came from it, instead choosing to tackle the boy whilst he recovered from the swing. Mono however, knew that he was left vulnerable after his swing and as such, dropped the machete to the ground as Six ran at him. The girl widened her eyes, not expecting him to do that and watching as he counter tackled, sending her sprawling to the ground.   

The girl felt her hood come off and the air leave her lungs, but quickly shook off the pain once she heard the sound of the tool being dragged across the floor towards her. Six quickly lifted her head to indeed see the boy dragging the blade towards her before bringing it down once more. Six only just managed to move herself out of the way of the blow, feeling it jump the boards slightly.   

However, instead of recovering like normal, the boy instead readjusted his grip on the handle before thrusting it forward. The sharpened blade came towards Six yet all she could do was watch for but a second before it met her face.  

And cut her flesh.  

Six felt pain rocket up the left side of her face, blood pouring down it as she let a small scream leave her lips. She quickly crawled backwards before the boy could continue any further, stumbling to her feet as she clutched her face. A few moments passed after that, the both of them taking deep breaths as Six slowly ran her hand up the wound.  

The blade had cut deep into her face, leaving a line that stretched from the left side of her chin, all the way up to her head and over her eye. Thankfully, by some miracle the blade had missed the eye, but a massive cut still remained on her face.  

She felt a scowl worm its way on to her face.  

He would pay for this...  

The girl removed the hand from her face, wiping away the blood that stained her eye in the process and affixing the boy with a hate-filled glare.  

Then, she ran at him.  

Her feet went into a feverish pace, intent on pulling the boy limb from limb. The boy in question felt his eyes widen at the sudden charge, not expecting the girl to suddenly and suicidally charge him. He panicked and swung the tool in a wide arc, hoping to either hit her or at least prevent her from getting closer.  

Six simply leaped over the swing, in an impressive display of her agility. Then, she swung at him with a wild blow that made him stumble and drop the weapon. The boy recovered quickly and threw his own punch that clipped Six in the shoulder, making her wince from the blow.   

Mono then took another swing at her but unfortunately for him, Six dodged the blow and grabbed the offending arm and pulled it out with all her might. The boy was pulled and thrown over the fallen blade, causing him to fall on to his front.  

Mono lifted his head to get back up, but quickly found Six mounting his back and wrapping her arm around his neck in a headlock. He quickly pulled at the appendage around his windpipe, feeling it cutting off the air to his body. But the girl did not let up, instead choking him harder and threatening to crush his throat.   

The boy let go of the arm and instead started to reach for the girl above him, grasping and scratching at her in an attempt to get her off. His hands desperately searched around before brushing past a long section of the girl’s hair, which he quickly grabbed in his hands, yanking downwards.  

Hard.  

The girl let out a soundless scream as her entire head was pulled downwards with great pain from her scalp. The action pulled Six’s head right next to Mono’s, allowing him to grab it and pull them both to the ground. They rolled around on the ground, a mess of limbs and blood as they tried to wound each other, all sense of reason lost.  

All that mattered now was winning.  

Six felt a kick to her stomach knock some of the wind out of her, as she retaliated with a scratch to the face that left angry marks in his skin. The boy then grabbed the offending hand but not by the palm or wrist.  

No, he grabbed it via her index finger.  

There was a moments beat that passed from the action, before the boy started to push the finger towards her, threating to break it.  

Six felt her finger scream in pain and then-  

She was greeted by nothing. 

No, not nothing. 

Darkness. 

Complete darkness that no light entered from, the type of darkness where one could stumble around and never find an exit.  

Six didn’t know where she was, she heard noises to be sure, but she couldn’t see anything. Her body felt tired and cold, yet she didn’t know why. She couldn’t remember anything, all she could remember was... pain then darkness. 

But why was it so dark? 

The girl felt herself out, checking every part of her body and seeing if it responded. Eventually, she discovered why it was so dark. 

She hadn’t opened her eyelids. 

So, with a mental and tired sigh, she opened them. 

And was greeted by a miasma of sensations. 

Light entered her eyes, blinding her for but a second. The light was not bright in reality, she knew that, it just felt like she hadn’t seen it in so long. The girl then let her eyes adjust themselves, feeling them open and close tiredly before she realized she was staring at a ceiling.  

A metal ceiling. 

Six felt confusion wash over her tired mind, where was she? 

The tired teen attempted to move their body to see where they were, only to realize something. 

They felt terrible. 

Her entire body felt like it was sunk in cold water, muscles and bones feeling weightless and unresponsive to what she told them to do. The tiredness that she felt in her eyes was spread throughout her body, a feeling of lethargy that made everything feel dead and unworthy of attention. 

Six felt a sick feeling enter her chest, it had been a long time since she felt like this. 

Thankfully, she had just enough energy to turn her head and look around, which revealed where she was. 

The Clinic. 

More specifically, she was in one of the rooms, laid down on one of three cots with the curtain pulled closed. 

The confusion wormed its way into her slowly awakening mind, why was she here? 

She rattled her mind for what had happened before she was here. Her mined played the sound of a battle, an adult with an accursed screen in its chest, a feeling of hatred and anger, followed by blood and.... 

Mono...

Six frowned. 

She remembered now, she threw the fight against Mono and it went wrong fast. 

That still didn’t explain her current situation however. 

Why was she here? 

As if to answer her question, the sound of footsteps approached the curtains, accompanied by the sound of creaking. The curtains were then wrenched open and the girl known as Lanu entered, carrying what appeared to be a clipboard in their hands. The girl went to write something down as she entered but halted the action, once she saw Six was awake. 

Lanu quickly placed the clipboard on one of the empty cots and approached Six, kneeling down slightly with a concerned smile. 

“You’re awake.” She said quietly, a soft undertone to her voice. “How do you feel?” 

Six blinked for a second before taking a deep breath. “Tired.... Cold.” She answered truthfully. 

The Doc nodded slowly at that, her smile fading into a more concerned and passive look. “Thats to be expected, given the... trauma you suffered.” She explained slowly. 

The Yellow Devil nodded at that before her face pulled itself into a frown. “And what injuries do I have?” She asked. 

Lanu seemed to hesitate for a second before she stood and grabbed the clipboard from before, folding a page over before talking. 

“Well, by what I’ve been able to feel out whilst you’ve been asleep...” She started, noticing the disapproving look from Six before continuing. “You’ve managed to lose a tooth on your upper right, along with breaking your nose...” She stated, pointing at her face, making Six realize she had tape stuck to her face to keep her nose straight, 

“You also have a fractured rib along with quite a lot of blood loss, which happened because you didn’t listen to me and opened your side up.” She said with disappointment in her voice and face. 

Six frowned at that, sliding her hand under the blanket that covered and feeling the wound on her side, her hand making contact with the stitches that now ran through her flesh. She looked at the girl with an annoyed expression, she had told her how she felt about those. 

The girl however, returned with her own annoyed expression. “Don’t give me that look, it's your own damn fault for not listening and doing something stupid like what you did.” She scolded. 

A sigh left the bed-ridden girl’s lips as she heard Lanu’s words. “Didn’t want to do that.” She stated. 

Lanu opened her mouth to argue but then shut it, seemingly deciding that it wasn’t worth it. A silence fell on the two and Six turned her head to the ceiling once more, taking a deep breath before she asked another question. “How long have I been out?” 

The girl let out an annoyed click but replied. “A whole day.”  

Six felt surprised at that, had she really been that badly injured? 

Well, going off how she felt, probably. 

She sank further into the cot; she was starting to regret her ‘plan’ already. 

Regardless of that, the Doc seemed satisfied with how she responded yet Six could tell that she had questions about what had happened with Mono. Still, she seemed to hold them with Six’s current condition. Instead, the girl briefly pointed out the water that had been left for her along with her coat and bag laying on the floor next to her. 

The girl then spoke a goodbye before turning to leave, stopping partway through the curtains to turn to Six and speak. 

“Just a little heads up, you’re probably going to have guests at some point.” She told Six with a smile, “So be ready for them, okay?” 

Before Six could ask who she meant, she left and allowed the teen to lay in silence with her mouth half open. 

She released a jet of annoyed air through her nose, just who was going to visit her?  

Renny? 

Ardy? 

Mono...? 

She felt a tinge of anger course through her at the boy’s name, he just had to constantly make her life complicated and unnecessary, didn't he? 

Still, her plan had worked, even if this wasn’t the outcome she wanted. With that final thought, she laid her head back into the cot and closed her eyes, intent on sleeping to regain her strength...

Only to realize she couldn’t. 

Despite the lack of energy that plagued her body, she wasn’t actually tired and as such her mind refused to allow her to rest, a side effect of her constant travelling. She let an annoyed sigh at the realization, part of her regretting her constant need for vigilance. 

What was she going to do now? 

She couldn’t draw, it was too tiring to even think about doing it and neither could she walk to distract herself.  

And as if to aggravate her even more, a certain shadowy presence sat itself on the cot across from her. 

Six locked eyes with the shadowy replica of herself, as it simply sat on the edge and regarded her with an unknown look. A few short seconds passed and the bed-ridden girl found herself losing patience with the shadow as it simply did nothing. 

Finally, it spoke. 

How do you feel? It asked, the distorted voice it used completely passive. 

A snort would have come from the girl’s nose if she had the energy, instead choosing to remain silent at the question.

It knew how she felt. 

So, the shadow continued on. You wouldn’t be feeling like this if you had just listened to me and not aggravated him.  

The girl felt annoyance at the shadow’s words. ‘So him sending us on a suicide run was my fault?’ 

No. The shadow replied, shaking its head. But challenging him like that wasn’t the smartest idea in the world, especially since you knew about how leadership works here.  

Six mentally scoffed at the shadow, so it would have liked for her to just be trodden on? Insulted and reprimanded without return? All just because it felt sorry for the boy? 

That didn’t work for Six. 

But the shadow merely shook its head. You could care less for what Mono said. It stated accusatory. You’ve got thicker skin than that.  

So what's the real reason?  

The girl said nothing, instead choosing to turn her gaze to the ceiling once more, 

It knew her reasons, it always did. 

The shadow lifted its head in understanding, a soft sound leaving its nonexistent mouth as it did so. Then, a beat passed and Six found the shadow was now sitting on her cot at the end. It didn’t look at her, instead looking at the closed curtains. It patted its knees in anticipation of something and Six knew that it wanted to ask her a question that it more than likely had the answer to. 

How long are you planning to keep this up? It finally asked. 

The girl lifted her eyebrows at the shadow, keep what up? 

A sign passed from the shadow's non-existent lips. These.... barriers, these walls you constructed. It explained. This hatred for him, when are you going to confront it?  

Six let an annoyed sigh leave her lips at that, her eyes closing in the process.  

In reality? Never. 

She knew she was better off never doing anything about them. 

The shadow seemed to sag in on itself and stood to dissipate from her view, though not before speaking once more. 

I tried to save the both of you and look where that got us. It said with regret. 

Six looked at the shadow in confusion but it had already disappeared. She stared at where it had been for a few seconds before shaking her head. 

It was speaking nonsense again. 

So with that, the girl leaned back into the cot, closing her eyes and began to plan in her head since she had nothing else to do.  

She knew that she was going to be incapacitated for some time before everything properly healed, especially with the wound in her side being ripped open. As such, she was properly going to have to stay here even longer and she didn’t know where, though she could probably keep staying in Lez’s hut she supposed. The other problem would be keeping herself sane. As much as she liked drawing, she could only do it for so long, as such she would have to find something to do. 

Perhaps she could find work in the village? Not something too strenuous of course, but at least something to keep her occupied and busy. 

Maybe Ardy can supply her with one? Preferably one that didn’t involve her getting seriously injured. 

The other issue would be food. 

Even with all the food the Brothers had gifted her, it would only last so long and Six would also prefer not to waste it like that. She remembered how Stub said they had plenty of ‘tokens’ for food, which Six would guess was some form of currency for the village, though she couldn’t be sure until she asked. 

At the moment those were her two main concerns, though she knew that other things would come up that she’d have to deal with. 

With that, Six let out another sigh and decided to at least try getting some rest, even though she knew it would be fruitless. The girl let her body go limp, forcing her limbs to unwind and slowing her breathing to make her as calm as possible.  

It still didn’t work. 

She spent over half an hour simply laying in the cot, body tired but unable to actually sleep. Her mind drifted through other things as she tried to sleep, thinking of the events that had transpired over the past few days and how they defied all sense of logic she usually had. 

Six blamed it on him of course. 

Speaking of... 

The Yellow Devil caught the sound of talking in her ears, it was far off however and Six couldn’t make out the words being said, though she could decipher who was speaking. 

Lanu and Mono. 

And by the sound of it, Lanu wasn’t too happy about Mono being here. 

If Six were to hazard a guess, Lanu wasn’t exactly thrilled about the idea of Mono being here to see her and was more than likely afraid that the boy would attempt to do something to her. She knew he wouldn’t of course, but Lanu was one that Six knew would never take chances. 

Six then heard the conversation die down, followed by the sound of bare feet once more approaching the room. The curtains were then parted once more, though this time with less force than what Six expected.  

Mono entered, Six turning her head to look at him and noticing the bandages that were barely visible from the angle she laid at. The boy approached her and looked down at her with his concealed face. Yet, in his eyes Six could see hardly any anger, instead it was replaced by something else that she couldn’t decipher. 

Silence dominated the room, the boy continuing to simply stare at Six with no clear intention. Finally, Six had enough and opened her mouth to speak. 

Yet as she tried to, Mono spoke. 

“You threw the fight...” He stated, voice for once free of hatred, replaced instead by a calm tone. 

Six felt her eyes widen slightly, how had he- 

The boy interrupted her thoughts by continuing to talk. “You were beating me, easily in the beginning, I knew I was going to lose.” He said with a shake of his head. 

“But then you stated to make mistakes....” He narrowed his eyes. “Amateurish mistakes that even Azzy could see.” 

He then pointed at her, though not as accusatory as before. "So tell me...” 

“Why did you do it?” 

Six stared at the boy for several seconds, seeming to debate something inside her mind. Then, she released a huff of air from her nose. “Why do you care?” She asked with tired accusation. 

Mono seemed confused by her answer. “Wha-what do you mean, ‘Why do I care?’ I want an answer, that’s why I care.” 

The girl rolled her eyes at him. “If that were true, then why did you do what you did?” 

“Six....” Mono warned. 

She shook her head at him. “No, you don’t get an answer from me. Not after what you did.” She told him. 

The boy shook his head in disbelief. “What I did?” 

“You involved others....” She clarified.  

“And if you cared like you said you did, you wouldn’t have involved them.” 

Something seemed to flicker across the boy’s hidden face, if the way he turned suddenly, seeming unable to look at her was any indication. He flexed his fingers with enough force that Six could hear them crack under the pressure, he seemed.... stressed about something. 

Mono then raised his hand to say something, yet nothing but a dry gasp emerged from his lips. He then let out a frustrated growl before turning abruptly and parting the curtains, leaving Six alone once more. 

Six raised an eyebrow at the reaction, what was that about? 

As she wondered, she heard the sound of Mono nearly walking into someone, causing them to apologize, followed by the other person letting out a simple reply that revealed their identity to Six. The person then parted the curtains, confirming who they were with their wide smile. 

Renny. 

He entered with a look of joy on his face, giving her an enthusiastic greeting at seeing her awake. Six simply rolled her eyes at the boy, he seemed to be very happy about her being alright it seemed. 

Renny proceeded to explain what had happened after Six had thrown the fight, revealing that after she had gone down, a lot of the kids watching had begun to shout at the Boss. Many of them screamed at him about attacking someone who had helped defend the village, calling him a liar, a bully, saying that he was forgetting the ideals of the village. 

Mono had apparently done nothing in response to the accusations, simply standing and starting at Six’s limp body. Eventually, he told Greeney and the guards that supported Six to take her to the Clinic before he had retreated to his tent with Alle. 

He apparently didn’t leave it for the entire day she was unconscious. 

Renny meanwhile, had been tasked with removing the corpse of the adult that now sat in the village along with the rest of the kids, slowly chopping the monster down and taking anything useful from it. He explained that most of what they took was the wood and metal embedded in the thing, along with the bones. When she asked about the flesh however, he had shaken his head, they didn’t eat it and instead used it for luring other animals. 

He also explained that during the entire day he had come to visit her regularly, hoping that she would wake up. That had surprised Six, making her ask why he would have bothered to waste time like that. 

The boy had responded with a confused yet concerned look. “Because I was worried about you Six, since I like to think we’re friends, right?” 

That made Six look away from the boy, a frown on her face. 

Friends...? 

That... was a word that Six hadn’t heard used on her in a long time and she wasn’t sure how to feel about it. A part of her wanted to tell him to keep his friendship, tell him that it was of no use to her. Yet she didn’t and she had no clue as to why she didn’t.  

She also had no clue as to why he would want to be friends with her, she wasn’t kind like him, nor did she have any interest in helping others like he did, so why did he want to be friends with her? Was it just because she saved him? 

Despite how much she wanted the questions answered, she didn’t voice them, instead choosing to change the topic to something else.  

They sat and talked for some time, Renny talking about various things that happened since she was asleep and how things in the village worked when she asked about them. Six found herself enjoying the talk, it was... a nice distraction to her current state. 

Eventually however, Renny had to leave to work more, explaining that various parts of the village had to be repaired from what had happened, especially since they were now short some people thanks to the monster. He left through the curtains with a wave, leaving Six truly alone once more. 

She fell into silence, realizing just how quiet it was as she stared at the ceiling. 

There... wasn’t anything else she could do. 

Six spent hours switching between starting at the ceiling and trying to rest, her mind stuck in a loop of repeating questions and answers from the past few days. 

It was maddening. 

Serk would come and go into her room to leave her food and water, but he wasn’t keen on talking to her it seemed, if the look on he gave her was anything to go by. 

Eventually, her mind began to slowly drift away, the call of sleep finally coming to her. 

Six allowed it to consume her, the edges of her mind fading to darkness as she willed her body to feel better for tomorrow. 

Then, she was nothing.

Two things happened the next day that Six was grateful for. 

One: She was not plagued by a dream of the past like the last few nights had done and had instead been blessed by the infinite darkness. 

Two: She was feeling much better. 

The instant she woke from her sleep she knew her energy had returned. Muscles moved with oiled precision, bones ached and supported her body and her mind was fully awake. She stood from her cot slowly, body protesting slightly after having laid down for so long.  

A muted groan left her lips as she stretched her body down to the fingertips, feeling the blood pumping through every part. She also felt pain briefly spike up in her side, reminding her of the fractured rib. Six lifted her cardigan up, revealing bandages wrapped around her side along with the stiches. She ran a hand down her side, feeling the ribs beneath before she came upon the breakage and hissing slightly. 

Not the worst breakage she suffered in her life. 

That would go to the time she broke her foot, that was painful. 

Regardless, Six felt much better and to her, that meant she could leave. Though as she went to put her raincoat on the sound of the curtains being pulled back, causing her to turn.  

Lanu stood there, a tray of medical supplies in her hand as she looked at Six with a glare of disapproval. 

Six briefly turned to the window in the room, seeing that it was indeed very early in the morning. 

Did this girl not sleep? 

The girl then spoke up, an unamused tone to her voice. “Trying to leave? Not without my permission.” She said firmly. 

The Yellow Devil was once more stunned by the sheer.... arrogance? Stupidity? Bravery? Of the girl, just who did she think she was? She made to argue, but the girl placed a hand on her shoulder and with surprising strength, forced her to sit on the cot again. 

“Don’t worry.” The girl said with a smile. “I can tell by how you’re standing that you’re feeling good enough to look after yourself.” 

She then instructed Six to remove her cardigan, which she obeyed, lifting her shirt as well to let the girl look at the injury. As Lanu went about checking the injury she began to talk again.  

“It's not my place to ask Six...” She began, pressing slightly on her side. “But what exactly happened between you and Mono to warrant.... THAT reaction?” 

Six sighed, seemed that everyone was going to ask about that now huh? 

“We... had a falling out.” She answered, not wanting to explain it in depth. 

Lanu raised an eyebrow as she instructed Six to keep her head still. “I think that was a bit more of a falling out, don’t you think?”  

The Yellow Devil resisted the urge to sigh again, instead choosing to grab the girl’s hand which made her protest slightly but Six ignored her in favour of directing her to the scar that ran down her face. Lanu reacted confused to the scar, briefly inspecting it and wondering why Six had made her look.  

But then she looked at the girl’s face, seeing the look in her eyes that told her all she needed to know about this ‘falling out’ as she had put it. She then silently removed her hand and resumed checking the girl over, this time in silence as she mulled over what she had learned. 

It only took a few more minutes for her to check Six over, seeing that everything seemed to be healing correctly and that the girl displayed no apparent discomfort as she moved. So, she gave the Yellow Devil a nod, causing the girl to pull the raincoat she wore back on and flip the hood up. 

The Yellow Devil... 

Hard to believe the legend was standing before her. 

Six pulled the bag on with some effort, feeling the familiar weight of the items inside jostle around as she did. Then, she turned to Lanu and thanked her silently, the girl smiling in response. 

“Just make sure you don’t do anything strenuous, I mean it this time.” She stated with a slight amount of amusement. 

A sigh almost left her lips at that, she wasn’t trying to get injured. 

Regardless, Six nodded and walked out of the room before finally coming to the doors which were already open. As she did, she noticed that quite a few more of the cots were filled now, some of them the guards that had been injured in the fight, others being kids that appeared deathly pale.  

The girl would hazard a guess that the TV waves the Viewer released may have affected some of the other kids more harshly, but that was only a guess. 

It was nothing to concern herself with anyway, so she quietly left out into the village.  

The walk back to the hut she stayed in was only a few minutes away, yet those few minutes were an... interesting experience. The village was now alive, many of the kids running around performing various tasks and jobs, some of the younger ones playing about without a care. But as she walked, many of them noticed her and gave her looks of sympathy or ones of joy, either smiling or thanking her as she walked by. 

It felt very... strange to Six. 

She also noticed the gate that had been smashed was nowhere to be seen and the corpse of the adult could barely be called one, now more resembling a pile of meat at this point as kids continued to pull it apart. 

Still, she continued walking, ignoring the smiles and looks that many gave her as she walked into the cluster of homes that contained the hut. Finally, she came upon the familiar abode, taking a breath before walking in and sitting herself down. 

The girl set her backpack down on the chair next to her before she hung her head and sighed, it was going to be a long time before she left this hut, wasn’t it? 

Still, it gave her time to draw again. 

Six plucked her pad and pencil from the backpack along with the sack of food that contained the nuts and fruit. She set them down on the table, flipping open the pad to a new page and skipping past all the pages filled with monsters of the past. Then, she opened the sack and rummaged around, plucking an apple from the sack and taking a bite of the sweet fruit. 

A moment later, the Yellow Devil then took the pencil in hand and began to draw, already knowing what she needed to illustrate. 

The Abomination, a fitting name for the adult. 

She remembered the creature perfectly for once, drawing the hunched and mutated outline of the creature as the memory sat in her mind. The girl briefly wondered why she could remember the creature so clearly but stopped once she realized why. 

Instead, she kept drawing but only got so far as finishing the basic outline before she was interrupted by the sound of the door frame being knocked. 

Six raised her head expecting to see Renny, but was instead greeted by the sight of Alle, standing calmly with a neutral expression on her face. The seated girl raised an eyebrow at the bodyguard, what was she doing here? 

“Six.” The girl greeted with a quick nod. “How... are you?”  

The Yellow Devil felt her eyebrow raise itself even more, the girl seemed hesitant to ask her that question, but she did regardless. 

So, Six responded. “I’m.... fine, just a little.... sore.” 

Alle nodded. “Good...” She said awkwardly. 

A thick silence then engulfed the air, as the two simply stared at each other. The bodyguard then groaned before flashing a thumb behind her. “Look.... there's something that needs your attention, so I need you to come with me.” 

Six tilted her head in suspicion slightly, what could possibly need her attention? 

The bodyguard saw her suspicious look and sighed. “It’s.... related to what happened between you and Mono.” She explained. “I’d suggest you come look at it.” 

A pang of concern ran through Six, this could be a trap for all she knew.  

If they wanted you dead, you’d already be dead now, wouldn’t you? Her shadow spoke in her head, making Six slightly annoyed. 

It did have a point though, something that was quite rare for the shadow in her opinion. 

So, Six regretfully nodded and stood from her chair, making Alle giving her a small smile as she walked away with Six following.  

The Yellow Devil fell in line next to Alle as she followed her, the clanking of the bodyguard's bone armour filling the air. The girl then turned her head slightly to Six, a small look of sympathy on her face.  

“For what it’s worth, I’m sorry about what Mono did.” She said, her voice carrying a small undertone of regret. “It was....” She trailed off, trying to find a word that DIDN’T make Mono seem like a violent thug. 

Six interrupted her with a shake of her head, it wasn’t worth talking about. 

The girl nodded back at her, seeming to understand what she meant. 

They then both turned their heads forward, making Six realize that she could hear a sound getting closer and louder as they approached the exit for the alleyway. 

It sounded like... talking and a lot of it. 

Alle then stepped out of the alleyway with Six, the latter feeling her eyes widen slightly in confusion as she took in the sight before her. 

Kids. 

A lot of kids. 

All of them were different from one another, some standing nearly as tall as Mono, others shorter than Netty. Some wore clothes of varying colours, others wore only one kind. Some had interesting or disturbing features, others didn’t.  

Six could also see some of the guards that supported her along with the Brothers, though no Ardy for some reason. 

They all stood in a semi-circle around the entrance of the alleyway with the sheer amount of them causing it to be quite large. Most of them became silent as two emerged, their attention suddenly focused onto Six. 

The Yellow Devil suddenly felt... nervous? What was going on? 

Her question was answered as she heard footsteps approach her, making her turn to the source of them. 

Mono. 

He approached with hands behind his back, coming to a stop before her with an unknown look in his eyes. Six narrowed her eyes at the boy, feeling them briefly flicker to the crowd that was gathered around them, just what was happening? 

The bag-headed boy answered her question. “Six...” He started, causing the girl in question to give the boy her full attention. 

“You came to New Dream wanting nothing but supplies, yet despite that you went beyond what was necessary to obtain them.” He stated, his voice loud, clear and respectful, though Six could tell that the latter was being faked. 

“You saved the lives of the scavenger Brothers from an adult, a task that was not needed by you, yet you did, even though it nearly cost you your life.” 

Six resisted the urge to roll her eyes, she could see where this was going. 

“Not only that, but you helped defend the village from an attack that might have killed dozens, despite the fact that you had no reason to.” 

The boy then took a breath as he prepared for the next part. 

“Yet.... Despite all that, I have treated you... unfairly.” He said, his words coming out slightly strained. 

“I accused you of things that made no sense and acted against both the wishes of those that live here along with the ideals that I built this place on.” 

“Even worse, I attacked you for no reason, causing you great pain when you had no desire to fight nor stay here.” He then stepped forward slightly, causing him to be within arm’s reach. 

He then unclasped his hands from behind his back and took another breath. “So, from the bottom of my heart, I’m... sorry.” He said, a tinge of fake honesty to his voice that Six picked up on.  

Mono then extended his hand forward, a sign to shake and forget. “Could you forgive me?”  

The Yellow Devil eyed the boy with slight disbelief and amusement, realizing what this was all about.  

Renny had told her that a lot of the kids had lost respect for the boy after what he did and more than likely, this was his way of trying to make up for what he did in their eyes. An apology was one thing, but a public apology in plain view? That was a humiliating task, especially for a leader who was supposed to be the one that was nearly always right. 

Still, that didn’t mean she would just accept it. 

So, the girl leaned in slightly to Mono so only he could hear her what she would say. 

“I’ll accept the apology... IF you don’t tell anyone of what my powers can... attract.” She said, wanting that little fact to remain a secret.  

Even if the Brothers already knew about it, they didn’t need to know SHE brought it here. 

Mono released an amused huff, leaning in slightly as well. “Fine, but YOU have to not tell anyone of what I.... did.” He bargained, the last part filled with regret. 

Six wanted to scoff but resisted it, a deal to keep secrets under the guise of an apology? 

She could work with that. 

So, she clasped his hand with hers, feeling the familiar warmth of his calloused hand against hers as she squeezed it tight. 

“I... accept the apology.” She stated, just loud enough so that the crowd could hear her. 

The assembled crowd clapped and cheered at the response, causing Six to flinch slightly from the sudden amount of noise. They eventually stopped, Mono stepping away from her and giving them commands to get back to what they were doing, causing them to disperse. 

Mono then turned to look back at her as the kids went back to what they were doing, giving her a once over before turning and walking away, Alle quickly following up behind him whilst giving Six a nod. 

The girl was then left on her own, making her sigh as she realized what she agreed to. She then turned to leave, only to feel a hand gently prod her shoulder. Six turned her head to look, seeing Renny standing next to her with a smile. 

“Heya Six, feeling better?” He asked. 

Six nodded at him, a small smile on her face. 

The boy nodded back before suddenly letting his face fall into a nervous and embarrassed one, making Six raise an eyebrow at him. 

“I uhm... just wanted to let you know that we’ll be holding a bit of a party for you and the rest of the guys who helped defend the village.” He said, rubbing the back of his head. “Do you feel like coming?” 

A strange feeling ran through Six’s chest at that statement, though it quickly passed. They were holding a celebration, for her? That was... unexpected, she supposed. Still, that meant interacting with a lot of people and Six wasn’t sure she could deal with that at the moment. 

Renny noticed her hesitation however and gave her a warm smile. “C’mon Six, it’ll be fun and there will be plenty of food and drink!” 

That made her perk up slightly, food that she didn’t have to work for? That was certain way to win her over. 

The girl pulled a face as she thought about it before sighing and giving the boy a nod. “I’ll come but I won’t stay the entire time.” She told him. 

Renny nodded with a goofy smile. “That’s fair, I know you aren't a people person.” He responded. 

Six nodded back and turned to leave, though she stopped herself when she realized something. “When is it?” 

The boy let out an ‘oh’ of surprise. “It’ll be when darkness first sets in, so I’d recommend coming a bit earlier if you want a seat that’s out of the way.” 

The girl nodded at that. “And where?” 

Renny smiled. “Lace’s” He simply responded. 

Six nodded back before giving the boy a small wave which he returned as she walked back into her temporary abode. She then sat herself down on the chair once more, peeling back the hood on her head before noticing the shadowy copy of her sitting on the edge of the table kicking its legs back and forth. 

The shadow nodded its head towards the doorframe, slightly tilting its head towards Six afterwards. Friends, huh?  

A sigh left Six’s lips before she looked at the doorway with a reserved look. “Maybe...” 

The shadow then did something unexpected as it leaned over and placed a hand on the girl’s shoulder. Make the most of it, won’t you?  

Six raised an eyebrow at the shadow before it suddenly disappeared into a cloud of shadow, leaving Six alone. 

The girl then turned back to the table with the pad and the outline of the adult drawn on it.  

She would need to finish that before she went out.  

So, she picked up the pencil and resumed drawing the monster, this time with anticipation of something coming later.

The party was.... interesting, to say the least. 

Six had arrived earlier like Renny had suggested, coming to the restaurant just as the Sun began to dip down. She had come to the sight of many of the tables still occupied, clearly some of the other kids having the same idea as Renny to come early and snag a seat. Thankfully, the boy and his brothers were there already, having picked out a table that sat in the corner like last time which was big enough to house six of them. 

The Brothers greeted her with smiles and a pat on the back from Stub, quickly seating her and passing her a cup filled with a kind of fruit juice that Six found herself enjoying greatly. They then fell into a comfortable atmosphere, the Brothers asking her how she was feeling and what had happened with Mono. 

Six obviously deflected most of the questions about the boy, only giving them vague answers to keep them satisfied and instead asking them about the work they had done. The boys gave her various answers, Netty complaining how hard it was repairing the homes that had been destroyed and dissecting the adult, whilst Stub only gave a shrug and said it was ‘difficult’. 

Renny then said how they were going to have to go on another supply run at this rate, which reminded Six of a question she wanted to ask the boy. 

“Renny?” Six said, getting the boy’s attention. 

“Is that offer of working for Ardy still open?” She asked, swilling the juice in her cup. 

The boy was stunned for a second before a confused smile wormed its way on to his face. 

“It is... but why would you want to work now? Shouldn’t you, ya know...? Be taking it easy?” He asked with concern, Stub nodding alongside him. 

Six shook her head at them. “I can’t just do nothing Renny and I can’t expect to live off just the food you gave me.” She explained. 

Renny nodded at that. “That’s.... understandable.” He said slowly. “But I’d imagine you’d prefer something a little less... strenuous, for the time being? 

The Yellow Devil nodded, she wasn’t going on another supply run with them, that was for sure. 

Renny gave her another smile and nodded. “I’ll ask Ardy then, see what he says.” 

Six nodded back, giving the boy a silent thanks. 

The boy responded with a smile before he talked again. “Does that mean you’ll consider staying here?” He asked, the other brothers looking at her with expectance. 

A flicker of something went through the girl’s face but she said nothing, causing Renny to smile in understanding and dropping the question. 

It was a question that Six was unsure of why it was asked. 

They then fell into the comfortable atmosphere again for a few minutes, Six listening to the banter between the Brothers and answering some of the questions they sometimes asked.  

But when darkness finally set in, that’s when it got interesting. 

The chef known as Lace emerged from his building alongside Cindy and another boy she didn’t know, carrying lanterns and candles that they went about placing all over the place, lighting the area up in the darkness. They then started to carry out tables, lining them up and throwing covers over them. As they did so, more kids began to appear, taking up the rest of the tables with some of them forced to stand.  

Then finally, as the kids started to get comfortable Lace and the others brought out trays of food. Meat, fruit, nuts, even some of the sweeter things were brought out and stacked onto the tables, causing many of the kids to cheer and drool at the sight. 

Six only slightly drooled at the sight. 

The Brothers sent Stub to get some of the food for their table, since he could easily carry it all. After a few minutes, he came back carrying plates stacked with food, laying them on the table and causing Renny to release a slight squeal at the sight of the steaming meat. 

Six had to admit, it did smell good. 

But as they were about to dig into the meal, the real instigator of the party was brought out. 

Soda cans. 

Three of them, dragged by both the ‘staff’ and the guards who helped in the defense, all of them now stripped of their gear, grins on their faces. Each of the cans was different, brightly coloured and containing a different flavour.  

The sight caused excited cheers to run through the assembled kids, as if the cans were the greatest thing they had ever seen. Though, even Six knew that soda of any kind was a great luxury. 

They cracked open the cans like kegs, piercing them with taps and draining the tooth-rotting liquid. Renny quickly ran with their cups on a tray, managing to snag some of the soda for them.  

Six took a sip of the stuff, her tongue lighting up with the taste of cherries and sugar that made her lick her lips. 

It had been a while since she had anything like this. 

They then began to dig into the food, the air around them filled with the buzz of chatter and excitement, as kids laughed and played. As they dug into the meal, the delicious food filling Six’s mouth, they heard the sound of footsteps approaching, causing Netty to look up with a small smile. 

“Greeney.” He greeted, his orange eyes looking the boy over. 

The guard sighed at that, removing a hand from the plate of food he was carrying to drag it down his face. 

“Netty please...” He pleaded. “Call me by name, you know it’s-” 

“Greeney!” A excited female voice interrupted, revealing it to be Jess who appeared at the side of the boy, causing him to jump slightly. 

“Jess! Don't do that.” He complained, nearly dropping his food. 

The girl merely gave him a grin and turned to the group at the table. “Hey Guys!” she greeted with a wave before turning to Six and giving her a wide smile. “Hey Six!”  

Six groaned internally, not again... 

“Is it cool if we sit with you lot, there aren’t any tables free...” Greeney asked, his eyes briefly flickering across the place. 

Renny gave an excited nod. “Sure it is, right guys?” He asked, turning to the rest of them. 

The other brothers nodded and Six had to restrain herself from pulling her face into a frown, she really didn’t want the table to become crowded. But at the same time, they were friends of the Brothers and Six didn’t want to upset them, so she reluctantly nodded. 

At least being sat next to Renny meant she wasn’t sitting next to the girl. 

The talking and eating amongst their table then resumed, this time with the addition of two more, who added their own questions to the mix which Six also had to deflect. Eventually they all managed to finish their plates, Six feeling content for once from the food she had eaten.  

But the kids around her weren’t content. 

They wanted to celebrate. 

The combination of bodies and food, along with the edition of the soda, brought excitement into the air which needed to be released.  

A shout ran through the crowd, causing the occupants at the table to turn to the source.  

The source was on the outskirts of the building, revealed to be kids gathering sticks and logs into a bonfire, stacking them till it stood above them. Then, Lace came out, a neutral look on his face that made many think he was going to scold them. Instead, his face split into a grin as he drew a match from his back and lit it, throwing it into the bonfire. 

A small fire began to build in the pit of the wood, slowly eating away at it. But it suddenly flared up, once Cindy threw some clear liquid onto it that the fire greedily consumed. Soon enough, the fire consumed the entire thing, causing the kids to cheer and begin to chant. 

They started to circle the fire, bodies moving in rhythmic ways as they began to sing out nonsense that filled the night. Many of the kids began to get out of their seats to join in, either beginning to dance or clap along to provide a more stable beat to the singing. 

Greeney voiced his opinion on the matter with a shake of his head, but was quickly silenced as Jess dragged him out of his seat to dance with her as she laughed. 

The Brothers laughed at the sight, Renny giving praise to Greeney as he was dragged away. Soon enough the Brothers stood from their table and began to clap along with the other kids, adding their own voices to the mix occasionally. 

Six however, let a frown come to her face.  

This was becoming... a bit too much for her liking. The sounds, the people and the smells were overwhelming for someone who like her, who spent weeks on her own, doing nothing but listening to her own thoughts. 

She needed some air. 

So, as the Brothers became more enthralled with the party that was going on, she silently stood from her chair and made her way into the open. She wouldn’t disappear for long of course, she just wanted some space to try and calm herself down. 

And she knew the best place to be on her own for a few minutes. 

Her feet made no noise as she walked across the dirt, nobody noticing as she slipped away. 

Except for one pair of eyes that followed her, narrowed in confusion...

Chapter Text

Six felt the wood beneath her creek slightly as she stood on the walkway that covered the wall, clearly not fully repaired from the damage the Abomination left on it. It didn’t matter though, she was the only one up here and she wasn’t planning on staying long. 

The girl did find it odd that no one was up here watching over the village, though she knew that more than likely they were at the party enjoying themselves. 

Still, they couldn’t afford one person to look over the walls? 

It worked for Six however, she wanted to be alone up here. 

She leaned on the wall, looking over into the vast and dark forest that seemed to stretch infinitely before her when beheld in the dark. The girl took a sip from her cup, managing to take it with her without spilling anything. The air was quiet, the only sounds reaching her ears those of bugs and nocturnal birds that called out in the night. 

A sigh of relief left her lips, this was what she wanted. 

The peace and quiet of the land, the ability to think without being interrupted and not having to worry about others... 

Another sigh left her lips as she raised her hand to comb it through her hair. 

What was she doing? 

Here she was, The Yellow Devil, making small talk and attending a party with other kids, some of whom considered her a friend, it made no sense to her. 

She raised the cup to her lips, taking another sip of the sweet liquid. 

The taste was a nice distraction. 

Six then felt the boards creak slightly more, the sound of footsteps approaching from her side. The girl didn’t bother to turn to see who it was however. 

She already knew. 

The creaking stopped a few steps away from her, as the figure who created them leaned on the wall like her, saying nothing as they let the silence stay for a moment. Then, the figure turned to her, still leaning on the wall but now focusing their attention to her. 

“You know...” They started, words coming out uncertain. “There’s a lot of people cheering your name in there.” They said, gesturing into the village. “But you’re out here, away from them for some reason.” 

Six briefly eyed them before returning it to her drink. “I’m not a people person.” 

They nodded. “I... remember.” Their reply was slow, uncertain. 

The girl nodded, she knew he would remember, especially with how their first true... encounter went. 

A blanket of silence engulfed them again, the only sounds being made the masked breathing of the person next to her. Then, they groaned in frustration, pulling a hand under their mask and dragging it hand in exasperation.  

“Alright enough.... “They said, clearly fed up with something. “We’ve avoided talking about this for long enough...”  

Six turned to them, confusion written on her face as the boy before her looked at her with concealed eyes that displayed weariness and questions. 

“What happened back then Six?” He asked, tilting his head forward slightly, voice for once free of hatred but not anger, replaced instead with a genuine need for answers. 

She knew what he was talking about of course.  

Anyone who listened into the conversation however, would be confused for his words could mean a hundred ‘what's’ to their ears, wondering what past event they were talking about. But to the two of them, there was no ambiguity, no question of what he was asking about. 

For it was the most significant thing between them...

Their separation, their fight, their broken trust...

The thing that happened seven years ago now. 

Six sighed at the question, thoughts turning sour as she turned to look at the ground outside the walls. 

“What would be the point of explaining?” She asked back, voice despondent and low.

(Credit to @MalakiTortilla for the depiction of this scene.)

Mono raised his hands in slight disbelief. “What do you mean, ‘What would be the point?’ It's been seven years since...” He trailed off slightly as he remembered. “THAT happened and you’ve never explained anything about it!” 

She turned to look at him with her own tired look. “Because it wouldn’t change anything, would it?” She asked rhetorically. 

The boy tilted his head in confusion at her words. 

Six sighed again, turning her whole body to face him. “The past is past Mono.” She stated, shaking her head. “Me explaining what happened, isn’t going to change it.” 

“But it might help me understand!” He replied with anger and tiredness. 

She shook her head again. “But it won’t change how you feel.” She said with experience. “It’s been too long for that.”  

He growled at that, throwing his hands down and turning to the wall. “I know that!” He said with gritted teeth before hanging his head slightly. “I know that...” 

The silence was present for a second before he looked up at her again. “But... I still want to know.” 

Six sagged slightly, seems as though his damned curiosity hadn’t lessened at all. So, she pulled her hood down and shook her hair slightly.  

“What do you want to know?” 

The boy regarded her silently, eyes filled with a hundred questions. 

But only one mattered to him. 

“Why?” He asked, the question that was burned into his mind for over 2500 days. 

Six felt her mind grow weary at the question, the exact same question he asked all that time ago before they fought. 

She regarded him with a deadpan expression as she replied. “You know the reasons.” 

The boy shook his head. “I don’t believe for a second that those are the actual reasons you tried to kill me.” He stated with mild annoyance. 

Six rolled her eyes. “And what do you want to believe?” She asked sarcastically. 

Mono shook his head. “Don’t start...”  

The Yellow Devil growled at him, annoyance building in her throat. “No, you asked for this, so this is what you get.” 

“What I asked for?” He parroted back with disbelief. “I asked for your reasons, not your excuses.” 

“They’re not excuses....” She hissed out. “They’re the truth, you just don’t want to believe them.” 

He shook his head with annoyance, stepping forward slightly, a sense of déjà vu building up. “The Truth? You don’t even know what truth is.” 

“And what is the truth, hmm?” She asked with building anger at the boy. “Go on, tell me.” 

“That you hated me.” He answered with bitter words. “That you were disgusted with me and just used me to get what you wanted.”  

Six shook her head. “No, I never hated you before then-” 

“Then why?!” He exclaimed, interrupting her with hands raised again. 

“Because you never listened!” She retorted, her voice becoming heated enough that the boy backed away slightly. 

The boy then tilted his head in confusion, eyes narrowed in suspicion. “I... what?” 

Six took a deep breath, trying to get her emotions under control. “You. Never. Listened.” She said again, punctuating each word with a gesture. 

“Listened to what?” He asked, angry and confused. 

“Everything...” She said, raising a closed hand. 

“I told you not to go in the School, you still did...” She raised a finger on the hand. 

“I told you not to go in the Hospital, you still did....” Another finger raised, voice becoming more bitter. 

“I told you not to go in the apartments...” A final finger raised which she pointed at the boy. 

“You. Still. Did.” Her voice became accusatory as she finished. 

Mono immediately retorted as she finished. “Because it was the only way forward!-” 

“You don’t know that!” She retorted back, giving him a knife hand. “You never even considered listening to me, thinking you always knew better on where to go.” 

“Then, to make it even worse you kept touching those TVs...” She turned to the forest again. 

“Even when I told you it would get us killed.” 

The boy made a move to argue but stopped himself as he considered her words. 

She... wasn’t wrong. 

Mono knew that the TVs were trouble, they were what brought down the city, reduced it to a shamble of what it once was and made everyone inside it a monster. Yet, he still insisted on reaching out for them, touching their screens and tuning the transmission that pulsed through them. 

But that was because... 

“It hurt Six...” He tried explaining, gesturing to himself. “You know it caused me pain.” 

The girl scoffed. “Then why didn’t you stop ?”  

That... was also a good point. 

So much so that the boy turned his head away slightly, ashamed to look at her. 

Because they both knew why. 

He was curious.  

Mono wanted to know what was in that hallway, why it always called out to him, why it seemed so familiar yet alien. He had always told Six about his dreams, the hallway he saw, telling her how it beckoned him. She had always told him to ignore it, to turn away from it whenever it called, saying that nothing good could come of it. 

But he still did. 

“Exactly...” Six said with venom in her voice. “You couldn’t just leave it alone, could you? You had to keep messing it with it and cause problems, cause pain by releasing-” 

Him.  

Six felt her breath stifle in her mouth.  

The pain, the pain, the pain, the pain, the pain, the pain, the pain.... 

Her chest compressed and exhaled rapidly, her mind felt numb, nothing felt right anymore. All she could feel was the pain, his powers coursing through her, the agonizing pain. She placed a hand on her chest, feeling her heart beat at a feverish pace, unable to stop, blood pounding in her ears. 

The pain, the pain, The pain...  

THE PAIN! 

She could run, she could always run, escape from him, escape from the pain. 

But he kept coming, always behind her, always watching her. 

Tall, dark, skinny, face shrouded in darkness yet a look on his face that promised pain. 

His fingers thin yet still enough to wrap around her like snakes, gripping her with pressure that threatened to crush her lungs. The eyes that stared back promised nothing but suffering, nothing but darkness for her. 

Another hand came down, touching her shoulder, a promise of pain. 

She grabbed it and flung it away, hands quickly finding his throat. 

He wouldn’t hurt her, not again, never again! 

Six would butcher him, rip his soul from his body, reduce him to nothing but ash. 

She looked in his eyes, finding them to be the same size as hers. She blinked, that wasn’t right, since when could he...? 

Si-? 

What? 

Six?  

Her name, why was he saying her name? 

“SIX!” 

The shout snapped her back to reality, the reality of her hands around his throat, his eyes widened with fear yet also with anger.  

She quickly removed them, turning to instead use them to lean on the wall again, breathing shallow as she tried to calm herself.  

Breath in. 

Breath out. 

He wasn’t here. 

He wouldn’t hurt her. 

Never again.  

She took a final deep breath, feeling her thoughts calm, as the boy beside her rubbed his throat and gave her a threatening glare. 

“What the hell was that?” He asked slowly and angrily. 

Six sighed. “THAT.... is why I tried to kill you” She said. “Because you released...” She trailed off, stopping herself from saying the name. 

She didn’t dare repeat the name. 

Mono’s eyes opened slightly in understanding. “The Thin Man...” 

Six felt her body stiffen slightly but managed to control herself as she mutely nodded.  

The boy cast his eyes to the walkway briefly before he shook his head. “But I saved you from him Six, so why would you-” 

“Did I asked to be saved?” She asked angrily, gaze turning to him. “Did you even consider that I might not have wanted to leave there?” 

A chocked sound left the boy’s throat. “What?!” He exclaimed with disbelief. “So, you would have just liked to be... stuck in that place?” 

She turned away from. “Maybe...” Her gaze turned to the forest. “It was certainly better than a lot of places...” 

A beat passed, followed by Mono scoffing. “I don’t believe that for a second.” He stated with defiance. 

Six turned to look at him with raised eyebrows, clearly not expecting that. 

“You said I don’t know you Six...” He started, gesturing to her. “But whether you like to admit it or not, I do know you.” 

“And I know for a fact that you never give up...” He said, making Six flick her eyes away from. 

“So I know that you wouldn’t be happy living in that.... fake place.” 

Six paused at his words, knowing that they were true.  

That didn’t mean she liked hearing it though. 

So, she turned back to him, eyes filled with bitterness. “So, does that excuse the pain you caused me then? Breaking my box? Ringing my ears with that horrible... sound?” She asked. 

He shook his head. “It was the only way...” 

She shook her head right back, he didn’t get it, did he? 

There was always a different way, he was just stubborn. 

When she gave no response, he scoffed, turning to lean on the wall like she was. They stood in silence, neither talking as they simply let what they said sink in.  

Surprisingly, Six found herself breaking the silence. “They want me to stay...” She said. 

Mono turned to look with a surprised look. “Who?” 

“The Brothers.” She answered, shaking her head.  

The bag-headed teen was silent for a second. “Do you... want to stay?” He asked cautiously. 

Six shook her head. “Not really...” she said, doubt in her voice. “The Yellow Devil isn’t one that likes to stay in one place.”  

Mono raised his eyebrows behind his mask, she didn’t sound very... fond of that name. As far as he was aware, Six took pride in that name, in the legend that she had supposedly carved out for herself. Now though, she sounded almost.... saddened by it. 

But he decided not to question it, at least for now. 

Though, her statement did bring another question to his mind, one that he had asked before. 

“Why did you save him?” He asked once more. 

The girl looked at him, doubt in her eyes at the question, yet she could tell there was no malice behind his question.  

So, she sighed and answered. “He... saved me from the adult in the cabin, felt like I owed him.”  

Mono nodded, though internally he was deeply confused by the answer, given his past experience.  

Six then narrowed her eyes at the boy. “Which wouldn’t have happened had you told them about the adult there...” 

The boy felt anger briefly rise at her accusation before it slowly shifted into shame, his eyes becoming downcast. He knew it wasn’t right, sending his own people, those he cared about into near-death over something between them. He should have kept it that way, but he hadn’t thought straight, hatred clouded his mind. The pain of what had happened before coming back to haunt him in his dreams. 

Sleep hadn't come to him in the past few days because of it. 

He raised his hand, looking at the scar that had healed but still ached. “I know... but...” He trailed off, knowing that she would get what he couldn’t finish. 

She did, which is why she raised her hand to rub her temples. 

“Look....” She started, giving him a stare that told him she was done with the pleasantries. “I’m not going to be staying, end of story.” 

Mono nodded, a slight look of relief in his eyes. 

“So... till I can leave, we’ll agree to stay out of each other's way.” She said, holding out her hand. “Does that sound alright?” 

The boy stared at the hand for a second before reaching out, hesitating slightly and then grabbing her hand for a single shake. They then quickly separated their hands, the familiar warmth from both of them quickly fading away.  

Silence once more returned between them and Six felt like she had calm down enough to venture back to the party. So, she turned to leave but stopped herself. 

She had one more question.  

“How did you survive the fall?” She asked, not turning to see the boy’s reaction. 

Despite not being able to see his reaction, she heard the sound of him sharply taking a breath, followed by him exhaling loudly.  

“I....” He seemed to struggle with his words. “I used my powers ...” 

Six didn’t turn, but her face quickly switched to one of confusion. He had spat out the word ‘powers’ like it was the most disgusting thing on the planet, like it had caused him pain beyond measure.  

She didn’t question it however, instead choosing to simply make a sound of acknowledgement before walking to the ladder and climbing down it. 

Mono didn’t follow however, he simply stayed. 

He was too engrossed with his thoughts to do anything at the moment.

Six returned to the party to find it still going, though not as loud as before, it still had most of the kids dancing around the bonfire like a bunch of moths. She quickly found the Brothers in the same spot, Renny quickly standing from his chair as she approached and asking where she had been. She obviously told the truth about going for some air, though she left out the part about talking to Mono. 

The boy seemed to relax at that, understanding her discomfort around crowds and people, so he didn’t push it. Instead, he got her a refill on her drink, something that she was grateful for as she downed the sugary liquid. They then returned to their seats, Six for once engaging slightly as she talked to the Brothers. 

She then felt a hand on her shoulder, turning to find one of the guards that had supported her smiling, the rest of them standing behind them. They quickly gathered around her, thanking her for the help she provided and calling her a hero. 

Once more that word was used on her and once more she felt the need to spit it out 

But once more she ignored the feeling, instead trying to brush aside the praise they gave her. They wouldn’t have it however and soon enough, Six found herself subjected to a small cheers in her name, cups raised to celebrate her...

And despite the hollow feeling in her stomach, Six allowed herself a small smile. 

The praise was undeserved, but it still felt nice. 

Six actually found herself staying a bit longer than she expected, though she still left much earlier than the rest of the kids would. She thanked the Brothers for the food, though they waved it off and told her it was all for her, given what she had suffered through. The guards, including Greeney, agreeing with them. 

She eventually found herself back in the hut, fatigue finally catching up to her wounded body as she slowly meandered over to the other room, dragging her bag over and slipping out the sleeping bag. As she did, she realized she had left the bag in the hut the entire time and nothing had happened to it. 

Perhaps... it was safe to leave her stuff alone...? 

A beat passed on the thought. 

No, it probably still wasn’t  

Regardless, the girl found herself back in the cozy roll, a feeling of tiredness that for once didn’t feel... unwanted.  She found her eyes closing, darkness pulling at her vision. 

Then, she saw nothing.

Mono found it impossible to sleep. 

There was too much on his mind, too much to think about. 

After all, his former friend had given him a lot to consider. 

He had spent years after their... ‘falling out’ as he had heard it put by some of those who talked to her, suffering with the aftermath of what had happened, dreams haunted by things that made sleep nearly impossible.  

It had taken time and a lot of it to push those things down, force them into a place where they couldn’t break free, otherwise they would have gotten him killed. This world forced them to be strong, to be quick and languishing on things that happened wouldn’t aid him at all...

Even if it caused him so much pain. 

He sighed, moving a hand under his mask to rub his eyes. 

Then, she came back and flipped his world upside down again. 

She had come here, to this place he had made for himself and others, a place where they wouldn’t need to fear the dark anymore. 

A place where he could escape his nightmares. 

His mind had gone into overdrive, every scenario, every possibility running through his head, anxiety and stress ruining his mind. 

He had made the rash and insane idea to send his people, his people! Into a place of certain death, all for the opportunity to call the girl out or better yet, kill her. 

And it had completely backfired on him. 

Instead of doing what he thought she would do, she did the exact opposite, she helped them, saved them. She had put her life on the line helping them, earned their respect, turned them into allies. She had aided in the defense of the village, gathering more around her that supported her, making him think she planned to overthrow him. 

Like Lez had... 

But then she did something that baffled him even more. 

She threw the fight. 

It made no sense to him, even now his mind couldn’t wrap around what happened. Six was someone who never gave in, not to anything, not to anyone. Yet she had thrown the fight for a reason he did not know and had forced him into a position where he had to apologize to her, lest he lose the support of everyone that lived here. 

He did not need a repeat of the ‘Winter blood’. 

Even more confusing, he had talked to the girl, having a conversation that for once wasn’t filled with hatred and anger or at least not much of it. It had been... revealing for him, learning of what made the girl drop him, things that he never really thought about for he was too focused on pinning it all on her. 

He still hated her however, how could he not? 

Yet he was forced to live with her now, at least for the next week or so as she healed. 

As such, his mind was not put at ease, knowing he had to endure her for longer than expected, though in some way that was his own fault. 

Mono heaved himself out of his bed, a rather luxurious thing he supposed, what with it being twice the size of him in every direction. Then again, he didn’t ask for such a large bed in the first place, it was a gift after all. 

He stood from the bed, bare chest catching the wind that blew through the tent occasionally.  It was starting to get colder now, the second month of fall already starting to set in, meaning they would have to stockpile for the harsh winter that would come soon. He quickly walked over to his shirt and coat, pulling them on before walking over to his desk. 

The boy sat himself down, reaching under the desk for the lantern that was kept under it and quickly lighting it up. Now with a proper light source, he went about reviewing the orders on his desk, checking them over once more. 

He wasn’t going to get any sleep, so he may as well do something. 

Mono carefully read through the words he wrote under the light source, making corrections on things that he reconsidered. He did this for a while, till a hand landed on his shoulder, followed by a familiar squeeze.  

He relaxed slightly. “Alle...” He greeted, feeling the girl remove her hand before walking to the side of the desk and leaning on it. She said nothing, instead her gaze morphed into one of questioning, more than likely because of him still being awake. 

Mono sighed, pointing at the bed. “Can’t sleep, too much to think about at the moment.” He then raised an eyebrow behind his bag. “Why are you up?” 

The girl rolled her eyes at the boy before gesturing to the curtains and making a brief ecstatic face before it fell into her usual grimace of a resting face.  

He raised his head in understanding, she had been watching the party to make sure everything went fine and more than likely was the one who forced everyone to retreat to their homes. So now, she had been awake too long and any hope of resting was lost. 

Sighing, Mono gestured to the chair opposite him, Alle walking over and sitting in it. The girl then leaned forward on her arms, eyes focused yet tired as he resumed looking over his list. He was stopped however, once the girl reached over and took his hand in hers, slowly rubbing his knuckles with her thumb. 

He looked up, seeing her usually fiery look reduced to one of concern. ‘What’s wrong?’ Was the message it conveyed. 

Mono sighed, whispering a word. “Her.” 

Alle said nothing, instead choosing to squeeze his hand in understanding.  

He squeezed back slightly. “Shes... given me a lot to think about, especially regarding how I’ve... acted.” He admitted with shame in his voice. 

Out of the corner of his eyes he saw the girl nod, an admittance that she knew that his actions were unlike him. But regardless she gave him a smile, causing him to smile back slightly. 

He was glad to have someone like Alle. 

She then did something unexpected. 

The girl raised herself from her seat, his hand still in hers, as she forced him to stand. Alle then slowly led the boy back over to his bed and lowered him into it, carefully placing him into like he was some newborn. 

He resisted the urge to roll his eyes, instead giving the girl a deadpan look. “I told you Alle, I can’t slee-” 

Alle placed a hand where his mouth was under the bag, a concerned yet firm look in her eyes that told him to at least try. 

Mono sighed and leaned back into the pillow, closing his eyes and feeling his breath slowing down. He then felt Alle creep a hand under his bag, allowing her to caress his cheek that left a comfortable warmth within it. The girl then attempted to move her hand up further, causing the teen to suddenly grip her arm to stop her, though not tightly. 

He opened one eye and gave her a stare that told her to stop, Alle quickly relenting and removing the hand, though she gave a small smile as she did.  

She still hadn’t seen his face, even after all this time. 

And Mono would rather keep it that way. 

Regardless, her presence put him at ease slightly and Mono slowly felt himself succumbing to the tiredness that consumed him over the past few days. 

His eyes closed again and the boy embraced darkness for the first time in days.

Six awoke to a sound that was becoming far too common to her yet was also unexpected. 

The sound of the wood doorway being knocked. 

The Yellow Devil felt her eyes snap open and quickly pulled herself up, wondering who had dared to wake her, even if it was the desired time she wished to be up at. She quickly made her way into the other room, annoyed gaze locking on to who had disturbed her and finding... 

Ardy? 

The nervous boy looked up at Six with a panicked gaze as he noticed her furious expression, the girl letting her expression soften slightly as she lifted an eyebrow at him. 

Ardy quickly gave a chuckle. “M-morning Six, h-how was the party last night?” He asked, clearly trying to lighten the mood. 

Six stared for a second before responding. “It was... good.” She said uncertainly, not really sure what to think of the party in reality. 

The boy nodded. “Good to hear, R-Renny said he enjoyed it quite a bit.”  

A beat passed before the boy spoke up again. “I-I also heard from Renny that y-you're looking for some w-work?” He asked with a tilted head. 

Six felt understanding pass through her, making her nod her head, so that was what he was here about. 

Ardy let a small smile come to his face. “W-well if that’s the case then y-you can start helping today...” He nodded his head behind him. “We need more h-hands with repairing the homes, think you c-can help with that?” 

The girl paused for a second, hands trailing up her injured side before returning to look at Ardy. “So long as it’s not too strenuous.” She said. 

Ardy shook his head. “D-don’t worry, it won’t be.” 

He then turned to walk away, giving her a small wave. “I’ll let you g-get ready, come to the storage o-once you are.” 

Six nodded, watching as the boy walked away with hastened steps. The girl then turned to retrieve her bag to dig into some of the meats for breakfast, only to find her shadow sitting on the table again. It leaned its head forward slightly and despite the lack of a face, Six knew what ‘look’ it was giving her. 

A face-splitting, ear to ear meeting grin that spoke of amusement. 

The girl pointed at the shadow as she moved past it. “Shut it...” She silently hissed at the apparition, causing the thing to release a distorted chuckle at her.  

Six got ready quickly after what the boy said, downing a bunch of cured meats that tickled her throat, followed by her pulling on her coat, along with taking her bag over to the shed. The walk only took a few minutes, Six finding the boy waiting there, along with the Brothers and three other kids she didn’t recognize. 

Ardy waved her over and gestured for her to leave her bag inside the shed for safekeeping, the Yellow Devil doing so and hiding it in a hard-to-reach place. She then returned to the group, choosing to stand next to the Brothers as Ardy explained what was happening. 

Apparently, when the Abomination broke the gate down it hadn’t done so in one piece and had instead flung a part of it straight into the village through the roof of a place that was responsible for making a lot of the kid's clothes. Unfortunately, the damage done to the home was too much for them to repair effectively and as such, the entire place had to be torn down before it could be rebuilt again. 

The boy then told them that the plan for today was pulling the roof and some of the walls down before moving on to the foundations. He then set off, the rest of them following as he led them over to where the home was located. 

They walked in relative silence, the Brothers occasionally talking amongst themselves but usually remaining quiet. Then, Six felt a tap on her shoulder and turned to face the source, finding it to be one of the kids from before. 

The kid in question was a girl, perhaps a year younger than Six, her face was covered with dirt on her slightly tanned skin. A pair of purple eyes with a confident edge to them looked at Six, complemented with short blond hair that was cut unevenly. The girl wore a set of blue overalls that appeared well used and aged, alongside them a pair of brown boots that looked like they would fall apart at any moment. 

A cocky smile appeared on the girl’s cracked lips, Six narrowing her eyes in confusion, what did she want? 

“You’re Six?” The girl asked, voice strong with a some kind of drawl to it that Six couldn’t pin down exactly. 

Regardless, Six nodded hesitantly at the girl, causing her to nod her head at Renny.  

“Renny talked ‘bout you a bit, though I only got to see you when the Boss beat the tar out ya.” She explained, causing Six to scowl slightly. 

If only they knew... 

“Also heard you saved his life.” She said, nudging Six with her shoulder. “Wanted to thank you for that, otherwise I would lost the free food he owes me.” 

Six ignored the praise once more forced upon her and instead gestured to the girl in a questioning fashion. 

The girl let out a small sound of amusement. “Right, right, forgot to introduce myself, didn’t I?” She then stuck her arm out. 

“Names Gema, I help build things ‘round here.” She said, introducing herself with a wink. 

Six stared at the arm for a second before reaching out and taking the girl’s hand, the girl gripping it with a grasp that nearly made Six wince. The girl then let go, turning her head forward as they were led into a bunch of buildings near the front of the village.  

Gema then turned to Six once more. “So, you’re helping us now?” She asked, gesturing in front of her. “Thought you were planning on leaving?” 

The Yellow Devil shook her head and gestured to her side. “Too injured, can’t travel like this.” She responded simply. 

A nod was received from the girl. “And if you’re staying till you’re healed, you gonna need to work.” Gema deduced. “I respect that, not a lot of people would do that.” She then flung a thumb at Renny.  

“’Specially when they got someone like Renny to give ‘em everything they could need.” 

Six let out an amused huff at that. 

“I’m not one for standing around.” She stated. 

The girl released a bark of a laugh at that. “You’re like me then, can’t stand being idle.”  

Six nodded, it was... nice to see someone of a similar mindset. 

They then fell into silence, though Six noticed Renny had a small smile on his face, but she didn’t know why. Another minute of walking past before Ardy suddenly stopped, signaling that this was the place. 

Six saw that the place was quite large, double the size of her hut with an additional floor. A large roof that extended beyond the walls covered the place and multiple lines of rope and string connected from the building to the neighbouring ones. Unfortunately, whilst it was a great place to live, the large piece of metal and lumber stuck out of it wasn’t doing it any good. 

The piece was from the edges of the gate, specifically part of the metal that held it together along with a large part of the wood. The piece was lodged thoroughly through the roof of the home, the majority of the broken metal and tree stuck concealed inside the home and from the way the building sagged, Six could tell it was leaning on the piece for support. 

Ardy then turned around to address them, a smile on his face. “H-here we are, as you can t-tell this place is beyond repair from the attack.” He then let out a shaky sigh. “Though thankfully nobody was h-hurt when it happened.” 

He then gestured to the place. “N-now we need to pull the roof and flooring down before we can s-start getting the gate out.”  

Six found herself nodding, the rest of the teens around her doing the same as they listened. 

Ardy then pointed to the Brothers. “Renny, would y-you and your brothers start breaking the r-roof please.” He asked with a shaky gesture. 

Renny flashed a thumbs-up and gestured for his brothers to follow, the three of them starting to climb the outside of the building to get to the roof. 

The supplier then gestured to Six and the rest. “The r-rest of you, can you p-please start to break the upper floor’s walls? It would make getting the piece out much e-easier.”  

“Sure thing Ardy.” Gema replied, turning to Six with a smile. “C’mon new girl, let's get breaking.” She announced before taking heavy strides to the home.  

Six resisted the urge to scowl at the girl, instead doing as Gema instructed and following her through the doorway.  

The inside of the home was as big as Six expected, dwarfing that of the other homes she had seen, though she imagined it would look much better without the massive piece of gate lodged in the center of it. Most of the furnishings that had decorated the place had already been removed by whoever lived here, if the patches of untarnished wood were any indication.  

Thankfully the piece of wood hadn’t damaged the simple looking stairs that were very shoddily bolted to the wall, Gema ascending up them with Six and the other two kids following her. They reached the first floor of the home and the second Six’s foot made contact with it she already knew this was going to be a problem. 

The entire floor creaked when she touched it. 

Gema sent a concerned glance back at Six and the others, saying nothing but indicatiing to move slowly across the floor and to avoid the middle where the piece of gate was. Six nodded and made her way around it following Gema, until the girl stopped at one of the corners of the home that seemed to be more stable than the rest of the place. 

The girl turned and nodded with a smile, causing one of the teens behind Six to step in front of her and lay a bag on the ground they were carrying. The teen then opened up the bag, revealing an assortment of tools that looked well-used. 

Each of the teens reached into the bag, pulling out a tool that they held with experience, Gema pulling out a hammer that she held with two hands and a grin. Six looked at the bag, knowing that she was going to have to use one of them to do any damage. She reached in, brushing aside some of the tools before her hands found the grip of a tool she could use in her current state. 

A hatchet. 

It wasn’t one like Mono used of course, the hatchet in her hand was much smaller and built by hand, metal sharpened and fitted into a wooden handle. She gave it an experimental swing, feeling its weight and deciding it wouldn’t be too cumbersome. 

The action also caused her side to flare up however and Six realized she would have to use her left hand to swing the tool. 

Her non-dominant hand. 

Six mentally sighed at that, she was starting to hate Mono more than she already did. 

She then turned to the group, finding Gema giving her an approving nod before the sound of the roof creaking overhead let them know the Brothers were on top of it. Renny called down to them, letting them know that they were here and that they were going to start by destroying the roof that was being supported by the piece of gate so it wouldn’t cause a problem later. 

The group gave varying sounds of acknowledgement, Gema then reached down and pulled the bag up before passing it to Stub through a hole in the ceiling. The blonde-haired girl then pointed to the wall opposite them, Six seeing that it had already started to collapse slightly from the impact.  

Gema made her way forward with the others following, the floor creaking as they did, Six mentally preparing herself to move at any moment. Despite her paranoia, they made it to the other side without a hitch and Gema stepped forward towards the wall.  

The girl felt her hand along the wall, obviously trying to find the best place to begin. Her hand stopped and she turned to usher them back slightly, which Six and others did. A second later, the girl brought the hammer over her shoulder, steadying herself before throwing her weight into it. The hammer met the wood with a splintering thud, that rocked the wall and floor, Six eyeing it with concern.  

A beat passed and the girl grabbed the hammer to pull it out, putting it aside to begin prying the boards off. The other two kids approached the wall, ready to begin helping with Six following a shortly afterwards. Six took her place on the far side of the wall, standing on her own away from the others which was something she was grateful for. 

She took a look at the wall and then the hatchet, taking a deep breath before bringing it back and swinging. The hatchet impacted the wall with a wooden crack, the head biting deep and sending a shake up Six’s arm. The girl took a second to observe the damage, it wasn’t too bad to say she wasn’t used to swinging it, but she knew she could do better. 

So, with a foot planted on the wall she withdrew it and took another swing, this time aiming above where she had struck before. The wood splintered once more, this time enough that it could be pried off. Six hooked the hatchet head around the broken plank, pulling just enough to break it loose without causing her any pain. 

Six took the broken plank and looked back at the others, seeing that they were throwing the wood outside through the holes they created, causing Six to follow suit.  

The Yellow Devil then heard a loud crash from behind her, causing her and the others to quickly turn. The cause was revealed to be a decent chunk of the roof that was leaning on the gate having fallen down and crashing into the bottom floor. Six looked up, seeing Renny and Netty standing on the roof with slightly guilty faces, Renny waving and mouthing an apology. 

Gema pulled an amused face and shook her head, Six following suit and shaking her's as well.

If this building didn’t get her killed, he probably would. 

Regardless, Six turned back to the wall with the rest, pulling the hatchet back to continue working. 

And work she did...

The next few hours were spent hacking and prying away at the walls with the others, the walls slowly being reduced to nothing as the roof above them was stripped apart. After a while, the group took a break, Ardy once more providing food, something Six was secretly grateful for. As they sat and ate in a small circle on the ground, Gema nudged Six, getting her attention. 

“So... new girl, what do you think of New Dream so far?” She asked, taking a large bite of meat. 

Six thought on the question as she chewed before replying. “Loud, crowded....” she paused. “Nosey.” 

The large girl chuckled at that. “Nosey, eh?” She tapped her chin in mocking thought. “I think that only applies to you, since you’re so mysterious and all...” 

A look of confusion and annoyance appeared on Six’s face, since when did wanting to keep your life your own invite people to constantly poke their heads into your life? 

Regardless, Six shook her head. “I’m not mysterious, I just like to keep things... private.” She replied. 

Renny nodded. “And that’s fine, nobody’s gonna force you to tell them anything.”  

“But they will ask questions...” Stub added, taking a bite of a slice of orange. 

“I-It’s only natural.” Ardy finished, downing what must have been his fourth cup of water. 

Six pulled a face at that, she supposed that was true.  

That didn’t mean she had to like it though. 

Gema then gestured to Six. “Speaking of, I heard from Renny-” She started, gesturing to the boy, causing Six to give him a sideways look that made him smile nervously. “-That you travelled the entire Eastern side.” she leaned forward slightly. “Is that true?” 

The Yellow Devil rolled her eyes at the question but nodded regardless. 

A grin then found its way onto the blonde teens face. “What's it like over there? Heard a lot of rumors about it.” 

Six thought for a moment. “Wet, muddy, lots of mountains....” Her mind then thought back slightly more. “A lot of cities as well.” 

“Cities? Like the Pale city?” Netty asked, a slight amount of concern in his voice. 

The yellow-clad girl nodded. “A few yes, but none are as big as the Pale city.” 

A series of nods were received from the gathered teens before Gema spoke up again. 

“Got any good stories then? I reckon you must have...” She said with a curious grin. 

Renny looked at Six with an apologetic smile, clearly indicating that she didn’t have to tell them anything. Six however, knew that if she didn’t say anything, they would simply grow more curious and probe harder. 

So, she would tell them one story. 

“On the far lower part of the Eastern side...” She stared, gaining their attention. “There’s a city, filled with buildings that reach the sky and go deep underground but more importantly, everything is covered with sand.” 

Six looked at the ground, memories surfacing as she spoke. 

“The sand covered everything, roads, buildings, everything.” She grabbed a handful of dirt in her hands as she continued. 

“The sand always moved, one place to the next, no two days had the same amount in the same place...” She then let the dirt crumple out her hands. 

“But there was no wind there, not a single gust, not even a breeze.” She stated, looking up at their captivated faces. 

“It was always dead silent.” 

Stub tilted his head in confusion. “No adults?” 

Six scoffed. “There’s always adults.” She then raised her arm, looking for a particular area. “But these ones acted a bit... different.” 

“Different?” Ardy asked, taking another sip of water. 

“They all wore robes.” She explained, gesturing to her face. “And underneath it, bandages to cover all of their skin.” 

“In the daytime, they didn’t move and I don’t know why, so don’t ask...” She stated, wanting to prevent that question. 

“But when night fell, they did and when they did move, you learnt quickly how the sand moved.”  

The gathered teens leaned in slightly, a sign to explain more. 

So, she did. “The adults would eat the sand, fill themselves up till they bloated out, becoming fat and slow.” She said, making a fist slowly expand. 

“Then, they would waddle about looking for another spot, another place to sit in the day.”  

Six then took a breath, remembering even more. “And when they found a spot, they’d simply vomit all the sand up again, then they would sometimes do other things.” 

“Such as...?” Gema inquired with a gesture. 

“Such as looking for kids.” She answered, making the girl flinch slightly. “They’d wander around, looking for anything out of place, including animals.”  

The Yellow Devil then grimaced. “If they saw anything, then it was as good as dead, since one would set off the others and the city was filled with them.”  

“And when they caught you...” She shook her head, letting the words hang in the air. 

“What did they do?” Renny asked, voice obviously scared but curious. 

Six stared at him. “They always kept some sand inside themselves and they could spew it out fast...” She leaned her head forward. 

“Really fast.” 

The teens looked at her with concerned looks but she kept going. 

“Fast enough to cut flesh from bone...” She said, raising her arm to show the scar that looked like a burn. 

“Fast enough to make your eyes pop like grapes...” She continued, pointing at her eyes. 

“And fast enough to make sure you couldn’t run.” She finished, causing them to look at her with concern, 

“Then how did you...?” Renny trailed off, confusion in his voice. 

Six looked at him with a deadpan look, causing him to remember who she was and making him turn away in embarrassment. 

Did he seriously forget she was the Yellow Devil? 

Regardless, she had finished her little story and by the looks on the teens' faces, it certainly had the effect she wanted. 

Ardy then coughed loudly, a look of fear on his face. “W-well, enough of t-that, I think it’s time w-we got back to work, don’t you t-think?” 

Six ignored the urge to tell the boy not to say ‘we’ since he didn’t help at all and instead stood from her cross-legged position, watching as the rest of the kids did with thoughtful and slightly fearful expressions. 

As they went back to the home to continue their work, Six felt a small grin come to her face. 

Perhaps, she could enjoy her time here, especially with how they reacted to such a light story like that. 

She was going to have fun with the other cities.

The light crossed out of the borders of the city, a single one out of thousands that existed there, yet it was still important like the rest. It was carried with reverence by one of those that worshipped its brilliance, their faces enamored with it to the point of twisting. 

A tarp covered the light, preventing the dreary weather of the city from affecting it too much, for it needed to reach its destination in one piece. 

It was a long distance away after all.  

The creature that carried it moved with shaky steps, body twisted into something that resembled a parody of a person, rather than the one it once was. It carried the light for a good distance, walking till the city became small and the trees became thin. 

And it kept walking till the air became thick with salt. 

Once it reached the endless body of water it stopped, feet soaking themselves in water that brought a chill to the bone of anything that touched it.  

Or it would, if the adult could feel anything. 

It stood there for a while, the sound of waves crashing against the sand being the only sound heard. 

Then, in the fog that covered the sea, a silhouette came through. 

That of a simple boat with oars and the man that pulled it. 

Though calling it a man was disservice, since nobody knew what it was. 

It pulled up on the beach with ease, eyeless and sagging face gazing upon the other adult with a unknown expression. Then, the Viewer moved and carried itself into the boat, the other saying nothing but simply observing. Once it was seated, the sagging man grunted before rowing again, moving the boat with practiced ease. 

They set upon the sea into the fog, quickly becoming lost to the eye. 

But one eye could see them leave. 

It watched with self-concerned interest, knowing where it was heading and who it would find. 

The being knew that contacting the other was a hassle, a pain, but it was necessary. 

For without it, they wouldn’t have what they did. 

So, they would simply keep waiting, keep planning. 

They had time after all. 

Chapter Text

Six had done something she had never wanted to do. 

She had developed a routine. 

It had only taken a few days but she fell into one, a cycle of actions that became repetitive and safe. She would wake in the morning, have some breakfast before setting off to Ardy’s and doing whatever task he needed done for the day. Sometimes it was building things for the village, other times it was destroying it.  

Some days she was just required to help move things around or help take stock of what the village had and what was needed. She couldn’t go on the runs obviously, the Brothers having to go without her and having already made three trips in the time she had spent in the village. 

But it didn’t matter what she did, since it still earned her ‘pay’ as it were. 

Tokens. 

They were small things, the size of her fist, made from metal and decorated with images on their surfaces. Renny had explained them as the currency they used, each token could be used to trade for things that they needed, such as food and clothing. Tokens were only earned by working, a way to ensure that no one was not benefitting the village in any way. 

Groups of kids had to also share their tokens, something done to prevent too much hoarding of items and food, though it still meant that they earned them at a faster rate.  

It didn’t matter to Six though, all she needed was food to survive and the occasional bit of paper to keep her hobby going, something which had been incorporated into her routine. Sometimes she’d spend time drawing, sometimes she’d spent it with the Brothers, talking about random topics and events that came and went.  

On one occasion, they had fooled her into telling a bunch of kids and teens a story, under the guise that she was only going to tell them one. Six had reluctantly agreed, though for the misdirection she had told a more visceral tale than what she was originally going with. 

She could still hear the whimpers of the kids as they strode off into the night, now harboring a newfound fear of frogs. 

Regardless, she had spent a lot of time in the village, helping repair it and slowly watching as it was brought back to how it looked. The gate was the only thing that was still broken, the large metal frame that made up its circumference still being made.  

The village had also come to know Six now, regularly waving and greeting her when they saw her walk by, though she usually only acknowledged them with a nod. Mono was still an issue, occasionally showing up at random places and making the air tense around them, especially to those that were nearby. Nothing would happen though, they’d simply stare at each other before the other walked away, though Six knew it was becoming tiresome. 

Though tired was the opposite of what was happening to Six. 

Her body was slowly healing itself, the pain in her side now becoming more bearable, now able to move herself without fear of her side opening up again. She still had a missing tooth however, that was something that she would never get back. 

Damn that boy...

Still, the routine worried her, it was something that Six didn’t want. It would make her slopy, make her weak and unprepared for what could happen, the paranoia she had spent years crafting would start to slip away. Yet there wasn’t much that she could do about it, only wait till her body fully healed and then she could leave. 

The idea of leaving was still her objective, yet it brought a small sour note to her thoughts, though she didn’t know why.  

She shook her head, it wasn’t worth worrying about. 

Instead, she set her mind to the task at hand. 

Which was sorting out all these boxes. 

Azzy, the supposed organizer for the village, had come in wanting a check of the medical supplies they had. The attack on the village from the Abomination had left quite a few injured and as such, a lot of supplies had to be used to fix them up. That had apparently put quite a strain on the stock of what they had and Azzy wanted a recount, to determine if they needed more or not. 

So, Ardy set Six the task of looking though all the boxes filled with medical supplies, asking her to count them and mark down how many they had. So far, the number they had was very low, barely enough to keep them going and they were missing quite a few key things. More than likely the Brothers would have to be sent out again, something which would probably annoy Netty, given how much they had gone out recently, including today. 

They had been going to the cabin still, with the adult dead there was no real threat of harm, so they had begun to strip the place for everything they could get. Six paused at the thoughts of the Brothers, finding them to no longer bring a sense of annoyance to her mind, especially with how they had brought things from the cabin for her. 

A box of matches, candles, spare fabric, they had brought them all for her, even though she didn’t need them and would be left behind in the hut when she left. Still, the items did make living here, however temporary it might be, much easier. 

Regardless of that, Six had finished sorting through the boxes, counting only two that were full and a sack that was filled with medical tape and other miscellaneous things. She frowned slightly, how had they let it get this low?  

She shook her head, it wasn’t her concern. 

Instead, she patted the dust off her coat and went to go find Ardy to let him know she had finished. Six made her way through the corridors of boxes, wondering how the boy knew what was inside each one and how he knew where to put it.  

Six found the boy inside his little hut in the shed, carefully organizing things despite the constant shakiness he seemed to have. She leaned herself on the counter and knocked on it twice, alerting the boy to her presence. He turned around, giving Six a nervous smile and approaching the counter. 

“H-hey Six, done already?” He asked curiously. 

The girl nodded. “There wasn’t much to count, only two boxes of medical supplies and a sack.” 

Ardy frowned at that, his gaze turning away from her to the door. “I-I told them there w-wasn't much left, but they insisted to m-make it last till the Brothers c-could go out” He stated, his words filled with anxiety. 

Six heard his words but didn’t think much of them, it wasn’t something for her to be concerned with. Instead, she regarded the boy with a tired look. “Is there anything else you need me to do, or is that it?” 

The boy gained a contemplative look on his face before he responded. “W-well there is-” 

He was interrupted however, by the sound of shouting coming from outside. 

Both of them turned, one with concern, the other with confusion. Ardy quickly moving himself to see what the shouting was about, whilst Six followed slightly slower behind him. They then reached the outside of the shed and saw that the guards that were manning the gate were seemingly in a panic before one of them jumped down from the wall and began sprinting. 

Ardy saw this and shouted after them. “W-what’s going on?!” He asked. 

The guard turned, not breaking his stride as they replied. “It’s the scavengers, somethings happened to them!” They shouted, pointing to the gates. 

Those words reached their ears and Six found herself running after Ardy as they went to the gates. 

Yet she didn’t know why she ran...

They stopped in front of the single gate, watching as the guards were opening it to let someone in. Then the familiar face of Stub came through, pulling the faded red wagon through with Netty next to him. The both of them looked battered, scratches littering their faces and clothes ruined slightly. It was clear as day what had happened. 

Something had attacked them. 

Stub finished pulling the wagon inside, the gate pushed closed again as he suddenly dropped the handle and fell to his knees, taking deep breaths as if he ran back. 

Ardy quickly ran up to him, Six lagging behind him slightly as he kneeled next to the boy.  

“S-stub, w-what happened to you?” He asked, concern and panic littering his voice. 

The biggest brother looked at Ardy, taking a deep breath before replying.  

“Animal... attacked us... when we were at the cabin.” He answered, taking more deep breaths as he finished. 

“That wasn’t an animal Stub!” Netty said, taking his own shallow breaths as he wore a scowl. “That thing was a monster!” 

Six frowned at that, it wasn’t too common to have animals that attacked children, even less common to have ones that could be called ‘monsters’ by them. But then she noticed something and it was something Ardy noticed too as he looked up at them with even more concern. 

“W-where’s Renny? Why isn’t he...?” He asked, trailing off. 

The Yellow Devil looked around the wagon, seeing no other feet hiding underneath and not hearing anything. Something built itself in the pit of her stomach, an unfamiliar feeling that she didn’t know how to deal with. 

Stub said nothing, instead pointing to the wagon with a shaky hand. 

Six and Ardy both quickly ran over to the wagon, pulling themselves over the rim of it to stand inside. The inside wasn’t as full as it usually was, random pieces of metal and other knickknacks were scattered about, no correlation between the items.  But more important was the person inside, laying on rolls of fabric that covered them and appearing half-dead. 

Renny. 

The supplier quickly found himself on his knees next to the boy, Six following suit, her usually calm expression seeming to twitch into something else.  

Ardy swallowed nervously, opening his mouth to speak. “R-Renny, c-can you h-hear me?” 

Renny shifted slightly, his face scrunching up in pain as his eyes slowly opened. 

“A...Ardy?” He said, voice slow and slurred. 

The boy nodded quickly. “Y-yeah, it’s me R-Renny.” He replied with a nervous smile. 

A groan left the boy, his eyes shifting over to Six, seeming to fill with surprise. “Six...?” He spoke again, confusion in his voice. 

Six pulled her face back into a frown, nodding at him to confirm it was her. 

They then fell into a silence as the boy closed his eyes again, Six taking the opportunity to lift the sheets that covered him slightly to see what had happened to him. She only lifted them enough to let some light in, yet even with that she could see he wasn’t in good shape. 

The boy’s entire side was wrapped in bandages, stained deeply crimson and still wet to the touch. His clothes were nonexistent, pulled to ribbons and exposing the majority of his body, showing his flesh that was now as pale as moonlight.  

Six felt the pit in her stomach widen slightly more because she knew that despite the bandages covering his wounds, she could tell they were bad.

Just what had happened to him?

She then heard the sound of feet meeting metal behind her, turning her head to see Netty standing behind her with an angry, yet concerned expression. Six gestured to the boy on the ground, wanting to know what had happened. 

Netty sighed, clenching his fists slightly. “We... We were exploring the cabin again, Renny saw that there was a shed that was connected to the cabin, so he wanted to look inside and see if there was anything good.” 

The youngest brother then took a breath. “It took a while to open it, since the damn thing had a lock on it, but when we did...” 

“We realized it was a mistake.” 

His face then became pained as he clenched his fist tightly. “Something was living in there, I... I don’t know what to call it.” He took a breath again. “It looked like a dog or something, but it was missing all its fur and... I could see its skull.”  

“It attacked us, Renny pushed me out of the way and it got him.... picked him up in its jaws.” He explained, voice becoming angry and filled with grief.  

“We tried throwing everything we could at it, but it wouldn’t let him go.” Netty then gestured to his right. “Stub had to get a knife we found and jam it into its eye to make it let him go.” 

Netty then looked back at his injured brother. “We tried to patch him up best we could but...” He trailed off, his words becoming sorrowful as he spoke. 

Ardy silenced him by wrapping an arm around him, patting his shoulder in an attempt to comfort the boy. Netty simply shuddered, leaning against Ardy and closing his eyes.  

Six looked away from them and back to Renny, the feeling inside her seeming to grow as she stared at him. She gritted her teeth, what was this damnable feeling? Regardless she shook her head, the boy needed help if he was going to survive, she knew that.  

Right on cue, Six heard the sound of another person climbing into the wagon, revealing them to be Lanu, who wore a look of reserved panic. She quickly gestured for everyone to move away from Renny and Six begrudgingly did. 

Lanu then quickly set herself besides the boy, pulling the cover away to look at his words, eyes becoming more concerned as she briefly looked them over. She then turned to Six and Netty, locking eyes with them before pointing at Renny. “You two, grab the sheets underneath him and help me get him to the Clinic.” She ordered. 

In any other situation, Six would have been annoyed that the girl was ordering her like that. But in this case, something told Six to ignore the urge and instead nodded, quickly taking position behind the head of the boy and grabbing the sheets underneath him. They quickly lifted him up and though it was awkward to lift him down out of the wagon, they managed to do so without causing him any harm. 

The pair then quickly set off, following Lanu as she guided them to the clinic with hastened steps. Six found herself trying to match the girl’s pace, a part of her wanting to get to the clinic sooner, yet she didn’t know why. She then heard the boy she was helping to carry stir slightly, his eyes opening slightly and looking up at her.  

Green eyes were filled with barely conscious confusion and the boy opened his mouth to speak. Six quickly cut him off, hissing at him to be silent, to not waste his energy on such trivial things. The boy complied, Six watching as they looked around in a daze, eyes filled with pain that the boy tried to hide.  

It made the hole in her stomach bigger. 

The clinic then came into view, the door opened with haste, revealing Serk behind it whose usually tired eyes looked at the boy with a great amount of concern. Lanu then directed them to a cot on the far side of the building, Six and Netty quickly moving Renny over to set him on the cot. They lowered him with great care, Lanu then coming between them and quickly searching scanning over the boy before she nodded, face becoming resolute 

Lanu then turned to Six and Netty, pointing to them before pointing to the door, a sign to leave to let her work. A part of Six wanted to argue yet she didn’t know what about, instead nodding and leaving, Netty slowly trailing behind her. As she left, she heard Lanu quickly begin to shout, her voice clear yet very much concerned. 

“Serk! Get the alcohol, stitching and bandages and get Marv in here, we’re gonna need all hands-on deck!” 

Despite knowing that the girl was skilled with her craft, Six knew that from the way she shouted, that she was deeply worrying about how to approach what she saw. The pair of them then reached the outside of the clinic, stopping a few meters short of it and simultaneously turning to look at the building. 

Both of them said nothing, a blanket of silence engulfing them, the sound of rushed steps and shouts coming from inside. Netty then turned to Six, face full of worry and despair that threatened to eat away at his sanity. Despite her reluctance to do so, the girl found herself placing a hand on the boy’s shoulder, a silent conformation that she understood. 

Six then looked back at the clinic, the feeling in her stomach slightly receding as she remembered that the boy was in capable hands.  

He would get better.

He didn’t get better. 

In fact, he got worse. 

The three teens who worked on the boy did a fine job of fixing him up, managing to seal the massive wounds that littered his torso with stitching and bandages, the blood that he lost now cleaned from his body. On the surface, everything would have appeared fine, but unfortunately it was not. 

He had an infection, his flesh inflamed with pathogens. 

And they had no way to deal with it...

The treatments used to cure the infection were all used up, the low supplies that Six knew of, meant she already knew they lacked the ability to do so. The information made something bubble up within her, a mixture of anger and sorrow that she found difficult to separate. She had visited the boy on a few occasions over the day that proceeded, watching as the boy’s skin became paler, vigor slowly slipping away. 

Six knew what would happen, she had seen it before countless times. The slow rotting of the body, the sleep that ate away, slowly consuming them from the inside before they became nothing more than a decayed husk. 

The image of that fate befalling Renny brought a pain to her chest, another thing that she didn’t know how to deal with.  

She had found sleep difficult, mind filled with images that evoked something that made it impossible, instead spending the time pacing around the hut and village in the dead of night with energy born of stress.  

Yet there was nothing she could do elevate it. 

Nobody knew where to find the required antibiotics to help the boy, the houses and cabins that surround the forest already picked clean and the Brothers that remained healthy already confirming they found no such medicine. The panic that arose from the healers at that was immense, Lanu already doing all that she could with what limited supplies she had to limit the boy’s suffering. 

Yet, Six knew where to find them. 

But it was in the last place she would ever want to go. 

Which is why she was currently heading to the tent that belonged to Mono, to suggest the idea to the bag-headed teen. 

Even if the thought of talking to him brought a lingering sense anger to her mind. 

As she approached the tent, she heard the sound of a heated debate, Six able to discern the voices of Mono, Lanu and Alle. She parted the curtains silently, no one present noticing her presence as she silently stood to the side, watching them. 

Mono raised his hand to his concealed face, running it down in exasperation. “I get what you’re saying Lanu, but we just don’t know where to look...” 

Lanu shook her head. “How did it get this bad in the first place? You told me you were going to deal with it.”  

“I...” The boy paused for a second. “Got distracted with something else.” He admitted. 

An annoyed sigh left the Doc’s lips. “With what? You always placed the health of the village above everything else, what got your attention?” 

Mono made to talk again, but his gaze finally noticed Six standing with her arms crossed, waiting.  

And despite the question remaining unanswered, Six knew what it was from the look in Mono’s eyes. 

Her. 

But Mono’s negligence of his own for his hatred was none of her concern, instead she refocused it on stepping forward to the pair, Alle in the back of the tent silently observing but making no move to intervene. 

“You don’t know where to get them?” Six stated rhetorically, eyes narrowing slightly. “Don’t make me laugh, you do know...”  

Lanu looked at the teen with a look of betrayal, whilst Mono scoffed, very much not appreciating the hostile tone. “Really? And where would they be then? 

Six said nothing, instead leering her head forward in a knowing way. 

Instantly, the boy’s eyes widened before he shook his head in a frenzy, the answer springing forth in his mind with alarms. “No! Why would you even suggest that?!” He asked, voice filled with fear and confusion.  

Lanu looked between the pair, a thousand questions on her face. “You know where they are? Then why don’t you-” 

Six cut her off before she could finish. “You know it’s the only place that will have them Mono, don’t deny it.”  

“I’m not denying it Six.” The boy replied, pointing at her. “But.... you know what it means to even consider that idea?” 

The Yellow Devil nodded. “I do.” She confirmed grimly. 

Mono looked at ludicrously. “Six....” He started slowly, leaning down. “We both hate each other, but even you must know that I hate that place more than you, right?” 

Six nodded again, saying nothing. 

The healer who heard the conversation finally ran out of patience, grabbing Mono by the shoulder and turning him to face her. “Where?! Where can you get them?”  

Mono tried to answer but the words got stuck in his throat, undoubtedly due to the fear with which he held the place. So, Six answered for him, the words that left her mouth already leaving a bitter and horrible taste on her tongue.  

“The Pale city.” 

The moment the words left her mouth, everyone in the tent froze, locking onto her with fearful eyes that spoke of a mythical kind of fear.  

“The Pale city...” Azzy whispered in the corner, his eyes darting to the floor. 

Lanu let go of Mono, her own shock making her do so and before regarding the pair with a scared and questioning gaze.  

“You...” She started, trying to find her words. “You know for certain that there is...” 

“Yes.” Both Mono and Six answered, eyes briefly locking from the unintended coordination. 

Mono took a breath before he elaborated. “We... both know where to find it.” He then turned his gaze to Six. “But it’s stupid to think about-” 

Six cut him off before he could finish. “IT’S the only way Mono .” She stated, regarding him with a cold glare. “Or do you want him to die?”  

The boy shook his head. “Of course I don’t! Why would you even...” 

But his words got stuck in his throat as Six leaned forward enough so she could whisper into his ear. “Because you tried to last time, didn’t you?”  

Shame burned deep within him from that, Mono turning to look at one of the tent walls, unable to meet anyone’s gaze. Finally, after a few seconds he out an exasperated growl, regarding Six with narrowed eyes. 

“Why do you even care about him?” He asked, annoyance lacing his words. 

Six paused at his words before replying. “He... has been very kind to me, respectful, unlike you.” She answered. “I need to repay him.” 

Mono narrowed his eyes at her words, seeming to question them but saying nothing. 

Instead, the boy sighed and pinched his eyes through the holes in his bag. “Okay Six, even if we both know where to get them you still know it’s dangerous.” He stated, looking at her again. “How could it even be remotely safe for them to go?”  

“Easy.” Six said, face falling back into the calm and emotionless one she wore. “I’ll go with them.”  

The teen’s face immediately shifted into one of complete shock, quickly followed by it shifting into one of loathing.  

“If you think for even a second that I’m letting you go with-” 

“Didn’t stop you last time, did it?” Six interrupted sarcastically. 

Mono growled at those words but said nothing, instead choosing to turn and walk to his desk, placing both hands upon it to lean. He hung his head for a few seconds, seemingly deep in thought before he pushed himself around again to face them.  

“Fine... we’ll play it your way Six.” He said with reluctance. “But I’ll choose who goes with you and don’t think you’re not having an escort of some kind.” 

Six rolled her eyes at the boy. “Just make sure they’re ready for tomorrow.” She stated, turning and leaving the tent with hastened steps. She parted the curtains and walked down a few of the steps before stopping, taking a deep breath from the amount of self-control she had imposed on herself. 

Still, it had gone better than she expected. 

The only issue now was the idea of who she was going to be stuck with on the journey into the city, something which Six knew was going to take more than a couple of days at best. Before she could ponder any further however, she heard the sound of the curtains parting behind her, making her turn her head just enough to see who it was. 

Lanu was revealed to be the one, approaching Six with a slight smile on her face, causing the girl in question to raise an eyebrow. 

“You have a strange way of getting people to agree with you Six.” The girl spoke with mirth in her voice before it settled into a more heartfelt smile. “But still, I can’t argue with the results.” 

The girl then frowned slightly. “But I don’t agree with you going, you’re still not healed properly Six.” 

Six nodded, knowing what the girl said was true before turning her head back as the girl moved herself beside her. Both of them said nothing for a few seconds before Lanu turned to look at Six with a warm look. 

“You really do care about him, don’t you?” She asked, words slow yet carrying a lot of weight behind them.  

The Yellow Devil paused before nodding. “He’s done a lot for me and I won’t let that go unpaid.” 

Lanu expression became slightly perplexed at that but said nothing, instead telling Six goodbye and thanking her for what she had done. Six then made her way back to her hut, inside mentally preparing herself for what would happen tomorrow. 

She’d need an early night, that was for sure.

The rest of the day had gone within a blink, Six spending the remainder of it preparing for tomorrow, making sure she had enough food and other bits from Ardy to last for however long she spent in that dreaded city. Ardy had been more than willing to help, especially with how she was doing something to save Renny, even throwing in somethings for free. 

Sleep had come both easy and hard for her.  

Easy for she knew that she had to rest, a goal in her mind that made everything else simpler. 

Hard, because she knew what she was about to do was bordering on insanity, though the images that filled her mind of what would happen if she didn’t do it made it slightly easier to bear. 

She awoke in the morning with ease, limbs stretching into place, rested and filled with energy to engage with what would happen.  

Even if her side wasn’t completely healed yet. 

Six then went about having quite a large breakfast in the form of a few orange slices and half a loaf of bread, knowing she would need the energy. When she was done, she checked her bag again, making sure that everything she needed was there still. Satisfied that it was, she slung it over her shoulder, taking one last look at the hut before venturing out towards Mono’s tent, knowing that the boy would undoubtedly want to meet there. 

The walk there was mostly silent, only the occasional kid waving at her this early in the morning, though some of them wore slightly grimmer expressions from the news that spread around. Six mostly ignored them before she finally reached the tent and pushing the curtains aside to step inside. 

Only to be met with a peculiar sight...

That of Mono, lacking his shirt and coat, standing with his bare chest exposed and having only just pulled his pants up. The teen reacted immediately, turning himself away from her, exposing his back to her. 

“Six!” The teen complained, voice embarrassed. “Don’t you know about privacy?!” 

Six raised an eyebrow at the boy, it wasn’t like she had seen anything indecent and even then, it shouldn’t really matter, they’d both seen worse things than that. Still, she did understand privacy and turned around to let the boy have it.  

The sound of clothes being hastily pulled on was heard, followed by Mono clearing his throat, allowing Six to turn back around.  

Mono took a breath. “I... wasn’t expecting you so early.” He admitted, placing his arms behind his back, 

Six rolled her eyes at him, clearly despite the situation he found a way to mess up in some capacity. Still, that wasn’t the focus of why she was here.  

“I’m guessing the people you’re sending with me are coming here?” She asked, wanting to get straight to the point. 

The boy nodded. “They’re just gathering what they need, then you’ll be setting out.” He told her. 

Six nodded back, the sooner they got out, the better. 

An awkward silence then engulfed the two of them, neither of them sure of what to do as they waited. Mono eventually turned and seated himself down at his desk, Six quickly following with her own chair to sit opposite him.  The silence continued for a minute before Mono decided to speak up again. 

“Do you really want to go into the city?” He asked, curiosity lacing his words. 

Six gave an unamused snort. “You know the answer...” She stated. 

Indeed he did, because Six knew he felt the same way about that place as she did. It was a thing that neither of them wished to return to nor remember yet it seemed the world had other plans for her.  

Her reply made the boy sigh, rubbing his temples under his bag as he focused on her again. “Then why are you doing this?”  

Six snorted. “Would you rather Renny die?” She asked humorously. 

Mono shook his head. “No... but it still doesn’t make sense to me why you would help him.” He said, gesturing to Six. 

The girl shrugged. “Like I said before, he’s been nothing but kind to me and I need to repay that.” 

He raised an eyebrow at that. “So, you believe in... debts then?” He asked. 

Six once again shrugged. “In some sense, yes.” 

Mono seemed to ponder her answer for a few seconds before shaking his head and returning his gaze to Six.  

“Do you ever regret what you did?” He asked, voice low and questioning. 

An eyebrow was raised at the question, the girl knowing what he was talking about. She let her face fall into a neutral expression, one she constantly wore. 

“No.” She answered, voice calm. “Because I’ve never lingered on what happened.” 

The teen became equally confused and angry at that. “You’ve never even thought about it?” 

Six shook her head. “I never said that.” She stated, pointing at him. “Remember what I said before?” 

Mono thought back to their conversation a few days ago, his eyes narrowing as he remembered what she had said. His gaze then turned back to Six. 

“So... do you regret it then?” He asked again, his voice losing some of its edge. 

Six looked away slightly, her mind formulating a response. “I’ve done a lot of things Mono.” She stated, turning to look at him with a slightly more reserved expression. “And I’d rather not think about them.” 

The boy narrowed his eyes at the answer, obviously not finding it to be satisfactory but knowing that she wasn’t going to tell him anything more. Instead, Six decided to change the subject. 

“Who’s coming exactly?” She asked, gesturing behind her. 

Mono looked at her for a second before raising four fingers on his hand. “Four, two of them to help carry anything you find, two to keep an eye on you and defend everyone.” 

Six rolled her eyes at him, did he really still think she would do something? 

Still, he hadn’t really answered her question and Six moved to ask again. She was interrupted however, by the sound of the curtains behind her being parted and the sound of other kids entering. Six turned to look at who entered and was moderately surprised at who she saw. 

Netty and Stub, shortly followed by Alle. 

The brothers had backpacks much larger than hers, though they were clearly not filled to the brim, seeming to sag slightly from lack of items.  

Six stood from her chair and approached the two of them, each offering a different smile to her. 

“Six.” Stub greeted with a nod. 

“You’re coming with me?” Six asked, slightly puzzled. 

Netty nodded, a determined look on his face. 

She tiled her head slightly. “Why?” 

“Renny's our brother Six.” Stub stated simply. “We ain’t gonna let him die that easy.” 

Six let her eyes narrow at them. “You know what you’re getting into?” 

The youngest shrugged. “Does it really matter? Most of the things said about the Pale city are probably fake anyway.” 

If the boy was talking about any other city, Six would have agreed.  

But he wasn’t...

Nearly everything that Six had heard from rumors and stories about the Pale city was true, the horrors that horrible city contained were things that Six wished never wished to return to.  

So, in reality they didn’t know what they were getting into.  

But Six knew that even if they did, they’d still come. 

Six therefore, simply nodded, a brief feeling flickering through her stomach that quickly passed. She then heard Mono rise from his chair and stop behind her, Alle moving around her to stand beside him.  

“Good, now that we’re all here we can set off.” Mono declared, turning his head to Alle. “Did you get everything?”  

The Yellow Devil didn’t hear what the girl replied with, because she was too busy analyzing what Mono just said. 

They were all here? But there were only three of them and Mono had said that two more would be accompanying her on the journey.  

That could only mean.... 

Six spun around, pointing at Mono. “No.” 

Mono turned his head to look at her, a confused look in his eyes. “What?” 

“You are NOT coming with me.” Six declared, her eyes narrowed in defiance. 

The teen scoffed at that. “You’re not deciding who can and can’t go Six.”  

Six clenched her fist slightly, muscle pulled taut. “Aren’t you supposed to be the leader of this place, isn’t leaving... unwise?” She asked.  

Anyone listening to her would assume the question was done out of goodwill, trying to make the boy see that leaving could cause damage. Though in reality, Six was simply trying to get the teen to not come with her.  

Unfortunately, Mono shook his head at her. “I’m leaving it in capable hands.” He answered, his eyes then becoming slightly crestfallen. 

“I... also think going out will do me some good.” He admitted, looking at his scarred hand. “I’ve been cooped up too long and lost touch with what I built this place for.” 

Six heard the reasons he stated for coming, but she knew there was another one that went unsaid. 

He felt guilty. 

Mono still felt the regret from what he had done to the Brothers, putting them in danger simply because of his vendetta against her. It had begun to eat away at him and coupled with the slight distain they acquired from watching him beat her for what they considered no good reason, the boy more than likely felt he had to make up for it. 

But he couldn’t do that if one of them died. 

So, this was his way to try and redeem himself in his own eyes, by saving Renny. 

Six knew this, but she didn’t say anything.  

Even if a part of her really wanted to. 

Instead, Six simply sighed and turned her gaze to Alle with a raised eyebrow, a silent question being asked. 

Alle nodded in response, conformation that she was coming along with them, something that bothered Six even more. Still, there wasn’t much she could do now, so she simply prepared herself for what would be a very torturous trip. 

Mono then turned and picked up a satchel that he seemed to be taking with him, leather in construction with a long strap that he affixed around a single shoulder, allowing the bag to hang off his side. He then nodded and walked forward out of the tent, the rest of them following after him, Six deciding to trail at the back. 

The group of five walked through the village with many eyes watching them, many filled with surprise at the sight of their Boss who seemed to be preparing for a journey. Some chose to follow them, trailing behind them with curious eyes that wanted answers. They then reached the gates and to Six’s surprise, Ardy along with Greeney and the organizer known as Azzy were stood there, their expressions completely focused on Mono. 

Mono stopped in front of them, regarding each one before he addressed them. “You going to be alright without me?” He asked, his voice taking on a gentler tone that Six was familiar with. 

Greeney nodded. “It’s only for a couple of days right? We’ll manage.”  

“J-just make sure you d-don't get hurt.” Ardy added, shaking his head. “We don’t w-want to lose anyone e-else.” 

Azzy nodded at that. “If anything, we should be asking you that Boss.” 

An amused sound came from Mono’s bagged face. “I’ll be fine Azzy.” He assured, placing a hand on the boy’s shoulder. 

“Just make sure we don’t lose anyone.” He told him, the boy nodding with a grim smile. 

Mono then turned to the group of children who had followed him. “That goes for the rest of you, I’ll be gone for a couple of days, try not to cause any trouble!” He told them, increasing the volume of his voice. 

Many of them started to raise questions, asking what he was doing and where he was going. 

The teen gestured to the group with him, telling them that he was travelling to gather supplies to help Renny and others in the village who needed the medical supplies, emphasizing how they needed them more, now that Winter was coming. Many still raised their voices again, wondering why Mono himself had to go. 

“My... actions recently have made me realize that I’ve forgotten what New Dream stands for.” He explained, looking at the crowd. “I’ve forgotten what it’s like out there...” He turned to look at the nearly repaired gate. 

 “And I need to remember.” 

The crowd fell silent at that before a smaller boy, Nev if Six remembered, walked out of the crowd. He approached Mono with a forlorn look on his face, the teen kneeling slightly to look at him.  

“Will you be gone long?” The boy asked, fear in his voice.  

Mono shook his head. “No, I’ll only be a couple of days.” 

Nev paused for a second. “Are you going to help Ren?” 

The teen smiled, though Six could tell it was a sad smile. “Yeah, I’m going to help him.” 

Nev nodded, a small smile on his face. “Please... be fast then, none of us know what to do when you’re gone.” 

Mono nodded, ruffling the boy’s hair before standing and returning to stand by the others.  

Six looked at the young boy before looking at Mono. “They put a lot of trust in you.” She observed, a tinge of.... something in her voice.  

The boy sighed at that, his head sagging forward slightly. “I know...” He admitted, closing his eyes. “That’s why I have to do this.”  

An eyebrow was raised from that, though Six said nothing of it and instead refocused her gaze forward.  

Alle was in the lead, Mono taking position behind her followed by the Brothers, with Six trailing at the back. The group began to set off, passing through the gateway whilst Mono and the others waved to the kids behind them, reassuring them that they would return safely. 

Six knew better, however. 

No one was coming out of that place unscathed. 

The only question left was who would it be?

Alle didn’t like this, not one bit. 

She understood why of course, Mono had explained it all to her. 

But that still didn’t mean she liked it. 

Mono was the leader of the village, the one who ensured that they were all safe and knew exactly what to do. He was her best friend, the person who had helped her rise from the bottom to become who she was now.  

And now, he suddenly decided to go along and journey to the Pale city, a place that the both of them left behind years ago now. Granted, his reasons were ones born of guilt and a genuine need to help, as the oldest brother would die if not treated properly.  

But he didn’t need to come, he could have sent someone else with her or even just sent her with them. 

Why did he have to come? 

Alle let out a growl under her breath, it wasn’t like she could do anything now. 

They had been walking for a couple of hours now, the forest that surrounded the city seeming to stretch on forever as she led them. It had been relatively quiet in their group, only the occasional conversation sparking up between the Brothers and Six or her and Mono, neither parties talking to each other. Eventually however, the Yellow Devil seemed to grow suspicious and walked in front of the Brothers to talk to them.  

“How exactly are we going in?” She asked, eyes narrowed beneath her hood. “I doubt we’re just going to walk into the city.” 

Mono rolled his eyes and answered before Alle could. “You’d be correct, we’re not.”  

He then gestured to his bodyguard. “Alles leading us the way that the other scavengers use to go in and out, should allow us to avoid any adults.” 

The girl raised an eyebrow. “Other scavengers?” She questioned. 

Netty decided to answer it before they could. “There a buncha of small groups that live around here.” He explained, pointing at Mono. “The Boss hires ‘em to scavenge stuff for the village, even though we could probably do it.” 

Mono shook his head. “I don’t want to send anyone into that place if I can.” He stated, turning his head forward again. “It’s not worth it.” 

Six actually nodded at that, agreeing with him, something that surprised Alle given how they interacted so far. 

Then again, it was the Pale city and Alle knew herself just how horrible it was. 

The Yellow Devil seemed to accept their answers and moved herself back behind Mono, the teen watching as she did before his gaze returned forward again.  

Alle felt like shaking her head, this was going to be a pain, wasn’t it? 

Regardless, she set her eyes forward, following the route and directions told by the scavengers.  

They walked for another hour and slowly the land around them changed. Trees became thinner and thinner, replaced by fencing and random TVs strewn about. Grass became barren and decayed, replaced by junk and bones. The sounds of birds and animals that lingered in the forest became silent, replaced by a sound that Alle knew well. 

The low ringing of the Tower. 

They were only starting to get close to the city and already it began to ring in her ears, but she ignored it in favour of walking. Eventually, the dirt path they followed became paved with broken tarmac that was cold to walk on. The city began to get closer and closer, the looming buildings becoming more prominent as they did.  

Out of the corner of her eye, she looked at those behind her, trying to gauge their reactions.  

The Brothers obviously had the worst, Stub’s usually calm face was one of barely suppressed fear, whilst Netty’s arrogance was thrown away in favour of paranoia.  

Mono and Six however, had different reactions. 

Six looked at the city with what Alle could only describe as pure hatred, her eyes though concealed by her hood and hair, still shined through, the crimson irises filled with such spite that Alle thought that the girl would burn anything she looked at. 

Mono seemed to have a similar reaction, hatred lingering in his eyes, yet Alle could tell underneath it all there was a lingering sense of terror, a shakiness to his eyes that told her that he wasn’t happy being here. 

Yet, he still continued to walk. 

So, Alle did too. 

The city got closer and closer as they did, the Sun that barely shone through before, became consumed by the dark clouds above the city, a sense of forbidding dread descending upon them.  

Alle ignored it. 

Eventually, she saw the sign that meant they had to turn off the path they were following, that of a singular wooden fence post with a bunch of bones strapped to it. She turned slightly and pointed to the dead fields of grass and junk that went towards the city, the others nodding and following her as they turned off the path. 

Despite the apparent bareness of the grass, Alle could still see where the scavengers had walked, the ground slightly disturbed from where they had gone. She followed it, watching as the buildings got ever closer and the smell of dank water and decay began to reach her nose. 

She breathed out the horrible air and kept walking towards the city. 

To the place she never wished to be again.

The ocean was calm, the infinite water and darkness that it contained was still, not a single wave or disturbance upon its surface. If one were to look upon it, they would have difficulty distinguishing it from the sky for both were that still. 

Yet below the surface, something stirred, a thing that had existed much longer than what those of this world thought. 

It crawled along the ocean bottom, nets and claws meeting rock and sand, dredging everything that was unfortunate to meet it. The thing moved sluggishly, its size permitting only such a slow speed. Yet that was all it needed, for it did not hunt to find its prey. 

The prey, always came to it. 

Yet at this time it slumbered, it was not time yet, that was to come much later.  

But then, something happened. 

A small little buzz, a tinge of light, echoed in its great mass, a thing that would go unnoticed to many inside it.  

But IT noticed. 

The great slumbering beast, the thing of hunger and desire stirred, a familiar power coursing from the light. 

The other had finally found something, had it? 

And the beast knew that the other would never contact it without a good reason. 

So, it stirred from its slumber, the great metal of its body slowly moving back and forth into place. Black smoke once again was produced from the heart of it, the power of a thousand souls fueling it. 

And slowly, the thing of hunger and death, rose from the deep. 

Chapter Text

The air was thick, filled with moisture and fog that blocked sight and made the air feel cold. 

It was just another thing on the list of many reasons as to why Six hated this place. 

They had been following Alle for some time now, the girl leading them off the tarmacked path and into the dying fields of yellow grass that were littered with death. As she did the city got closer and closer, the building that leaned in unnatural ways slowly becoming larger and would become what would shadow them for some time.  

Six hated them as well...

Eventually however, the thick air that surrounded the city became more prominent and the air slowly filled with the sound of running water that smelled of rot. Alle began to slow herself down, the girl pointing to a slight incline that led downwards. Above them sat a bridge, a thing of rusted iron and rotted wood that produced horrible creaking sounds.  

They slowly followed the girl down, the Brothers taking care with the large bags they were carrying. The slope then evened out into an embankment, wet mud making her feet slowly sink into the ground. Across from her was one of the numerous rivers that surrounded the city, the water dark and tinged with green that smelled off. Six looked past the river and focused on what stood across from them. 

The Pale city. 

Six couldn’t see the majority of the city, instead only seeing a concrete wall that rose up too high to climb, the bottom of it having a lip that was big enough to walk on. The wall was also covered with numerous pipes and sewers entrances that leaked liquids that Six was better off not thinking about.  

A slight hushed sound then reached Six’s ears and she along with others, turned to look at Alle who was pointing at something in the river.  

Stones, arranged in a line that would slowly allow them to cross into the city. Six also took note of the fact that the stones in the middle of the river had a very large gap between them, forcing someone before them to put a plank across them to complete the makeshift bridge.  

Alle turned, gesturing to the bridge. “From what the scav’s said, we can cross this part of the river and there should be a pipe with a covering we can enter on the other side.” she explained. 

All of them nodded at that and Mono turned to address them. “We’ll travel through the sewers for only a few minutes, then we’ll climb up to the surface and make our way from there.” He instructed. 

Six found herself nodding, the plan was sound even if it was being made by him. 

Mono then pointed to Alle. “You go across first Alle, me and Six will go last.” 

The girl raised an eyebrow of concern at that but said nothing, instead complying and making her way slowly across the stones. Alle took one step after another, jumping from stone to stone until she reached the wooden plank and slowly walked across it. Eventually, she reached the other side of the stone bridge without a hitch, standing on the concrete lip and gesturing to the Brothers to start coming across. 

Stub went first, quickly followed by Netty, the pair of them taking their time to cross the river unlike Alle. Six stood next to Mono, watching as they crossed and waiting for the boy next to her to begin moving.  

But he didn't, he simply kept where he was. 

Confused, Six turned to him, finding Mono to be simply.... staring at the wall of concrete that sat across from them. Six narrowed her eyes, clicking her fingers next to him, causing him to jump slightly and look at her with annoyance. 

Six tilted her head slightly to the stones. “You going?” 

Mono nodded slowly. “Yeah, I'm just...” He looked back at the wall, taking a deep breath. 

“It’s... a bit difficult to return here, you know?” He said, voice low with an undertone of dread beneath it. 

The girl next to him nodded surprisingly, causing him to lift an eyebrow behind his mask. He took a closer look at her hooded face, seeing the usual calm and emotionless expression she usually wore being replaced by one of restrained hatred as she looked up at the buildings that were visible. 

Clearly, she felt the same way about this place...

Mono shook his head, was he really agreeing with her? 

Still, Six was correct in needing to move, so Mono began to move himself across the stones with Six following after him. The pair of them reached the other side, Mono nodding to Alle to lead the way across the narrow ledge.  

They followed Alle across the ledge at a slow pace, the wet and moss-covered concrete was difficult to find hold on and many times did the Brothers nearly slip, only to be corrected by either Mono or Alle. Eventually, Alle stopped and gestured for them to stay put, which they did as the girl moved forward on her own slightly.  

Alle then stopped at a grate, looking at something before waving them over to come look. They all huddled around the grate, its size allowing them to all see into the tunnel that it covered and the darkness it led into.  

Netty then turned to look at the bodyguard. “Are you sure this is the one?” He asked, a look of concern on his face. 

Alle nodded. “Positive.” She said, pointing to something on the wall. 

Despite the angle, Six managed to see past the boys in front of her to what Alle was pointing at, a symbol. It was a double-sided arrow, crudely painted onto the concrete wall with red paint that pointed upwards and down, more than likely another sign from the scavengers on where to go.  

Alle then pointed to Mono and made a ‘come here’ gesture, Mono complying and awkwardly passing around the Brothers, nearly falling into the river in the process. The teen then stood at the opposite side of the grate to Alle, the girl nodding before gripping the grate with her hands, Mono doing so as well. The pair of them then pulled on the grate, the hinge above it slowly creaking in protest before it finally and quite suddenly flung open. 

The pair of them nearly went flying into the water, though their grasp on the grate prevented them from doing so and the two of them regained their footing. Mono turned back to them and nodded before Alle entered the pipe with Mono following.  

Stub and Netty then entered the pipe, Six lagging behind slightly as she looked behind her, making sure nothing was going to jump out of the water. She then entered the pipe, feet meeting disgusting water that slowly trickled out of the metal tube.  

Six resisted the urge to sigh, she thought she was done wading through sewage. 

The Yellow Devil then heard a shout from Mono, turning to find him gesturing to the grate that indicated he wanted her to pull it shut. Six raised an eyebrow at that, wouldn't it be safer to leave it open in case they needed to make a quick escape? 

But she didn’t say anything, instead reaching up and pulling the grate down until it creaked into position. Once she was done, she turned and caught up to the rest of them, feet making splashes in the foul liquid.  

Six frowned, they’d better not be in this place for long. 

Still, she continued following them, the pipe seeming to continue on forever. None of them spoke as they walked, a sense of fear and dread enveloping the group from the tight confines and darkness of the metal interior. Eventually, the light in the tunnel became all but gone and Mono told them to hold for a second, as the sound of him opening his satchel was heard. 

A moment later a bright light sprung forth from his hands, revealed to be a flashlight, similar to the one he had once used in the Hospital.  

Six felt her mind bring back memories of that dreaded place. 

A place she was returning to...

She shook her head, that was a long time ago now and she was stronger now, there was little chance anything could harm her. 

Though that didn’t mean she couldn’t be vigilante.  

So, she kept her ears trained, as the boy handed the flashlight to Alle who nodded in thanks before setting off again, light focused down the pipe. 

They walked again for what seemed like an eternity, though Six knew they had been walking for only ten minutes at best. The only sound she heard for those ten minutes was their steps displacing the foul sewage and the occasional rattling of Alle’s armour.  

Eventually, Alle stopped again, shining the light forward as if to check something. The bodyguard then gestured to both Mono and Stub to come forward, the pair of them doing so and allowing Six to see what the girl was shining the light at.  

A hatch, tightly sealed and with the same arrow painted next to it. Mono then nodded to Stub and the pair of them placed their hands on the hatch, beginning to push on the metal. The hatch groaned for a few seconds before it started to be inched open, slowly exposing the outside of the pipe. Once they were satisfied it was open enough to crawl through, they stopped, Mono talking the lead and climbing through. 

The teen disappeared from sight for a second before he replied that the coast was clear and stuck his hand through. Stub grabbed it and was pulled through, followed by Netty then Alle. Finally, Six stepped up and reluctantly, Mono grabbed her hand to pull her up. 

Once she was pulled up, she stared at Mono for a second and he stared back. They then broke contact, separating their hands and allowing Six to see where they were.  

They now stood in the main sewer tunnels under the city, walls of concrete and metal stretching on for what seemed forever. Below them sat a river of filth, producing a smell that Six knew was much worse than what it reasonably should be. Something that Six noticed however, was that the tunnels went in every possible direction, making it difficult to determine which way to go. 

Six turned to Mono, flicking her eyes to the multiple pathways, a silent question of what the plan was. Mono’s eyes seem to ponder something for a second before he turned to Alle. 

“Which way?” He asked, keeping his voice low. 

Alle pushed her lips, looking back the way they came before gesturing forward. “We’ll need to keep going forward for a while, just enough to get into the city.” She replied. 

Mono nodded and so did the rest of them, it made sense after all. 

The group resumed walking forward, Alle once more taking the lead with the flashlight, as the tunnels were still poorly lit even with the occasional slit of light coming through the surface. Six kept her eyes open still, looking around the various corners they passed with paranoia. Her vigilance was interrupted however, by Netty tapping on her arm to get her attention. 

Six turned to him, a brief look of annoyance passing through her features, though it quickly faded when she saw the boy’s inquisitive face. 

“Six...” He started slowly, eyes nervously looking around. “Have you... been to the Pale city before?” He asked, causing Six to narrow her eyes slightly and gesture for the youngest to explain himself. 

“Lanu was talking about you when we visited Renny and we overheard her say something about it.” He answered, eyes darting to behind him. 

Six turned her eyes slightly, seeing Mono staring at them with a blank look in his eyes. The both of them knew something like this would come up, though neither was prepared to really talk about their time in the Pale city. 

So, Six decided to do what she always did and answer vaguely. 

“A long time ago I did” She stated, turning to look forward, eyes trained on Mono. “It was... a terrible experience, something I don’t want to think about.” 

She saw the bag-headed teen narrow his eyes slightly but said nothing as he turned his gaze forward again.  

Stub then raised an eyebrow next to her. “That bad?” He asked. 

Six turned to look at him, seeing him look slightly surprised at her. More than likely because she had never seemed phased by anything.  

This was different, however. 

She turned her head to look at the river of filth below. “All the rumors you heard about this city?” She started, voice becoming slightly ominous 

“They’re all true.” 

Both of the Brothers had similar reactions to what she said, that of immediate concern and fear, as they more than likely replayed every rumor and story they heard about the city in their heads. Six also saw that Mono was clearly displeased with her answer, more than likely because she hadn’t mentioned him in any capacity. 

So, Six gave him a knowing glare, a reminder of what happened the last time he involved others in their little... ‘dispute.’ 

That made the boy look away from her and Six felt a small tinge of satisfaction glow within her. 

But it was quickly snuffed out as she heard something. 

It was faint, but she heard it. 

The sound of footsteps. 

“Wait...” She stated, just loud enough so that they could all hear her. 

They did, everyone looking at her with questioning eyes.  

Mono then made to talk but Six moved herself fast enough to push a hand onto his mask where his mouth was. The boy looked annoyed at that, but she gave him a glare and looked ahead to an intersection they were about to cross.  

The teen narrowed his own eyes at the corner, opening his ears and realizing what Six had stopped them for. He then turned to the others, ushering them to keep quiet and low, the Brothers backing up slightly whilst Alle slowly drew her sword. 

Deafening silence then on them for but a second before the footsteps started to become more audible. The group became more on edge, Six slowly pooling her shadow into her hand as they became louder. Then a shoe came stomped into view from the corner, the rest of the adult then slowly coming round the corner. 

The adult was much smaller than many of its ilk, being smaller than even the Hunter. It was also quite skinny, possessing a body that was best compared to a series of poles stuck together, rather than any actual form of adult. The clothes it wore were horribly torn and stained, to the point where Six couldn’t tell what colour or design they were supposed to be.  

Another step was taken and the creatures long, boney hands came into view, fingers like knives that jutted out. The adult then turned its head, slowly taking in everything around it revealing a wrinkled face with horribly sunken eyes, flesh almost seeming to rot off its face. 

Then its gaze fell onto them. 

Their breaths stilled and Six drew her hand back, shadow ready to extract the thing’s soul. 

A beat passed... 

Then, the creature kept walking forward, away from them. 

Six and the others watched the adult walked away with confusion, it had looked right at them, yet it hadn’t done anything. They all looked back at each other, realization occurring simultaneously 

The thing was blind.   

That... was a benefit.  

Six was very much ready to pull the adult’s soul out, but she knew that doing so may attract more adults to them and she wished to avoid that. So, she would try and restrain herself from using it unless absolutely necessary. 

Still, that left the rather difficult task of avoiding the sewer-dwelling adult without alerting it and Six knew that if it was blind, than any sound they made would definitely be heard by it.  

She’d learned that from the Janitor already. 

So, Six leaned over to the rest of them, indicating to stay quiet and try to sneak past the adult as it walked away from them. Mono regarded her for a second before turning his gaze to the adult and then nodding at her.  

They stood still for a few seconds, waiting for the adult to reach a decent enough distance away that it might not hear them. Then, Alle indicated to move and to try and keep anything they had on them from making any sound. They all complied, grabbing their bags to prevent them from shifting too much, whilst Alle was forced to keep her arms straight to prevent her armour from rattling. 

The group made their way forward, crossing a metal bridge of some kind that connected from one side to the other. Six grimaced as they made their way across it, the metal was making echoing sounds as they crossed it and she turned to look to see if the adult was coming back. 

Unfortunately, the darkness of the tunnels prevented her from seeing any worthwhile distance and instead only allowed her to peer as far as a few meters. Thankfully however, they made it across without a hitch, yet Six still kept her eyes focused behind her just in case.  

Silence then once more dominated them, a bleak and grim atmosphere that reminded Six of when she was last here.  

She shook her head, that wasn’t worth remembering. 

Sure it isn’t. Her shadow commented, floating in her peripheral vision. It's not like you're in the same place from all those years ago with the same person or anything...  

Six went to mentally retort at the shadow but was stopped by Mono turning to look at her.  

“Did you say something?” He asked, voice a whisper. 

The Yellow Devil raised an eyebrow and shook her head, she hadn’t said a thing. 

Mono started at her for a second before looking behind her, as if looking for something and then turned with a quick exhale. 

Six tilted her head, what was that about? 

She turned her head slightly to look at her shadow, but found it gone, another thing that brought confusion.  

The girl shook her head again, she needed to focus on better things. 

Such as the sound of Stub’s foot knocking over a can of some kind. 

Instantly, everyone felt their eyes lock onto the object in question before they switched to Stub and then promptly fell into silence as they listened out into the darkness. It was silent for but a moment, everything reduced to a deafening lack of sound that would still hearts. Then, they heard it. 

The sound of footsteps, approaching at a rapid pace. 

Mono reacted instantly, hissing to them to move quickly, the Brothers reacting as they were told and followed Alle who began to run at an impressive pace.  

Six and Mono fell to the back, both keeping pace with each other, Mono with his long strides and Six with her fast steps.  

But they couldn’t outrun the Dweller forever. 

Slowly but surely, the footsteps began to get louder, the sound of bare flesh meeting concrete echoing behind them a constant reminder of the death behind them. Yet they kept running, but Six knew if they didn’t do something then she would be forced to rely on her powers.  

Six then saw that Alle had turned right instead of straight at the next intersection, forcing the rest of them to follow due to the lack of light. The Yellow Devil turned around the corner, seeing the reason why the bodyguard had turned instead of continuing forward. 

A series of pipes were coming out of the floor, rising up to the street above and out of sight. More importantly however, there was a space carved out behind the pipes in the wall, big enough for them to all hide, if they squeezed in.  

Alle quickly went in as far as she could before hissing at them to get in, the Brothers quickly following as they made themselves as small as possible. Six and Mono then shared an uneasy glance at each other, neither wishing to be crammed up so closely to the other. But the sound of the approaching footsteps quickly reminded them that their ‘distaste’ of one another wasn’t as important at the moment. 

So, Mono acted first and reluctantly squeezed his tall frame into the space, his discomfort apparent. Six then shoved herself into what space remained left, pushing her body up to Mono, making the boy squirm slightly. Six quickly silenced him with a glare, though the teen retorted with his own, causing Alle to hiss at them to knock it off. 

Then, the sound of footsteps suddenly became very loud and despite the angle, Six could see the outline of the creature walk by their spot. It then paused, seemingly confused as to the sudden lack of sound, turning its wrinkled head around in an effort to pinpoint any disturbance. The adult then seemed to grow frustrated and stomped in the direction they were heading before, more than likely thinking its prey had ran ahead of it. 

The group remained still, none of them moving a muscle as they listened to the sound of the footsteps get quieter and quieter. Even when they could no longer hear the sound they remained still for a few minutes after, wanting to make sure that the adult was gone.  

Six carefully stepped out first, finally separating her and Mono from each other. She took a good look around to make sure the adult wasn’t nearby and then gestured for the rest to come out. The group complied and did so, each one standing back to their full height, the Brothers taking deep breaths to calm their hearts.  

Mono then made a sound to get their attention, pointing upwards rapidly to indicate they should go up. Six found herself nodding, they had more than likely gone far enough in now that they could surface.  

The group then once more set off, following the path the adult had taken with Alle once more in the lead. Six once more took position at the back, peering into the darkness for anything that moved. The sewers were still silent, still dark, the sound of sludge being moved as a body parted it being the only... 

Wait. 

Sludge being moved? 

Six quickly turned her gaze to the river of filth below her, eyes widening as he realized why she hadn’t heard the adult before.  

It was moving through the filth. 

Only its head was visible and the darkness made it hard to see, but Six could very much see the sagging skull sitting in the filth, waiting for anything to cause a disturbance. Six quickly turned her head to address the others, finding Mono about to open his mouth to speak again. 

She quickly intercepted him, pushing her hand under his mask and over his mouth to shut him up again. The teen looked down offended at her, pulling her hand away before she raised her finger to her lips and gestured to the river of waste next to them. Despite not being able to see the river, the boy nodded in understanding before he gestured upwards again. 

Six looked up, seeing that there was light trickling in from above via a manhole cover. She turned her head to look at the wall, seeing a set of simple iron bar ladders leading up to the surface.  

That was their key out of here. 

The main problem however, was the manhole cover. 

Even if they took their time removing the damn thing, Six knew it would create a loud enough noise that the adult would hear, which would undoubtedly cause problems. As such, the only way they could ascend without her using her powers on the adult, was if they acted quickly. 

So, Six grabbed Mono’s shoulder and gestured to him and Stub, gesturing rapidly for them to go up and remove the cover. Mono raised an eyebrow at her, gesturing to the river, causing Six to shake her head and point at the cover again, this time with a hastened exaggeration.  

The bag-headed boy pondered for a few seconds on her idea before reluctantly nodding, gesturing to Stub to follow him up at the same time whilst the rest of them followed.  

Mono then quietly moved over to the ladder with Stub and the pair began to climb up, followed by Netty and then Alle. Six followed up last, eyes focusing on the river as she slowly climbed up the ladder. She then stopped once Alle had, peering up to see that both Mono and Stub had reached cover and were waiting. 

The teen then looked down at them and raised a hand, indicating that he and Stub were going to start shoving the cover off. The rest of them nodded, ready for what was going to happen.  

Mono then nodded to Stub, the two of them pressing their hands on the manhole cover and began pushing it with their greater strength.  

Immediately, the cover started to make a sound, loud scraping of metal against concrete that grated the ears and made skin crawl. Six, however, could hear over the sound and she heard what she knew would happen... 

The sound of the sludge being violently splashed aside. 

Six hurriedly looked up at the two boys, hissing at them to work quicker. Mono looked down with a glare, a sign that he was both annoyed and trying his best to lift the grate. Six didn’t care however, because she could hear the sound getting closer.  

And judging by the way Mono’s eyes widened, so could they. 

The boys started to push harder, throwing all the strength they could muster into shoving the cover off, the metal slowly moving as it was forced out of its position.  

Yet they were still going too slow. 

Six heard the sound of the sludge being moved stop, replaced by the sound of slick and foul hands smacking against concrete as the Dweller began to pull itself out of the sewage. They were running out of time, it wouldn’t be long before the thing had pulled itself out of the river. 

She turned her gaze back to the boys, finding them to have barely moved the manhole cover. Six narrowed her eyes, with both of them pushing even the most stubborn of covers should have moved by now. 

Something was blocking it. 

And it was costing them time....

The Yellow Devil heard the sound of wet flesh slapping against concrete become louder, causing her to turn and look downwards. With the newfound light of the surface coming in, she could see further into the sewer, revealing the sight of one of the monster’s hands gripping the edge of ledge.  

They were running out of time, at this rate she would be forced to use her and powers and that would be... 

Wait, that was it. 

Six turned her gaze skywards again, taking one of her hands off the ladder and drawing it back, shadow congealing up her arm rapidly. She let it grow for a few seconds, as the disgusting sound of slopy sludge and skin got closer and closer. 

Then, once it was prepared, she yelled. 

“Duck!”  

Those above her looked down at her with panicked and confused expressions. “What?!” Alle shouted back, eyes widening as she saw what Six was doing. 

“Duck!” Six repeated again with annoyance, thrusting her hand forward as the rest of them finally complied. The shadow was launched from her hand at fear-inducing speed, zipping past the heads of those on the ladders fast enough to cause them to wince. 

But then it hit the cover and sent it flying. 

It came off with a horrible clang of metal being dented, the disc of steel launching out of view and letting the rain of the city pour in. Six felt a small pang of satisfaction run through her before she heard a confused groan from beneath her. She turned her head downwards, seeing the Dweller standing at the bottom of the ladder ‘looking’ up, the rain splashing on its head, clearing away the sludge.  

The adult then felt in front of it, feeling the ladder and gripping it before it started to climb at a snail’s pace.  

But it was still climbing nevertheless. 

Six turned her gaze upwards again, seeing those in front of her climbing fast and out into the city, Mono helping the Brothers out of the hole. Six quickly sped up her climbing, suddenly hearing the sound of something metal hitting above her, followed by Mono swearing loudly. 

Seems as though the cover had finally come down. 

The girl then made it to the top, pulling herself up and feeling the wet pavement below her feet. She had no time to see where they were however, as she immediately turned her gaze downwards again, seeing the adult still climbing. Six hastily looked around the street they found themselves in, eyes landing on what had undoubtedly been weighing the cover down. 

A brick. 

Six quickly ran over to it, pushing the large rectangle of clay towards the hole with a huff. She then suddenly found Mono next to her, aiding her in pushing the thing towards the hole. Six didn’t question his help, as they needed to get rid of the adult. 

They then finally reached the hole and with a final push, the brick was sent downwards. There was a brief moment of nothing as the brick fell, but it was quickly filled by the sound of it meeting the adult, a satisfying wet squish as flesh and bone was bruised and broken.  

Then, the adult let loose a scream of agony for but a moment, before another loud squish was heard. 

Six leaned over the hole, seeing the Dweller lying on the ground, blood pouring from both the front and back of its head. It did nothing, not even a single twitch came out of its body and Six couldn’t tell if the thing was even breathing. 

But she didn’t take chances. 

The Yellow Devil looked around again, seeing the streets filled with water and trash that had always littered the city. Her gaze looked for something heavy again, eyes falling on a trash pile that contained a heavily broken iron. 

That would work. 

She quickly dragged herself over to it, scarred hands pulling the household object with ease. Seven years ago, if she was doing this she would have struggled. Now, she was easily able to pull it across the street.  

As she was about to reach the hole, Mono appeared next to her, gaze questioning on what she was doing. Six nodded her head to the hole with an annoyed expression, an indication of the obvious.  

Mono’s gaze then became questioning, as if asking why she needed to do so. Six released a sound of annoyance, gesturing to the hole again with a rising hand. 

The teen looked back at the hole for a moment before nodding, grabbing the iron with her and holding it over the dark hole, adjusting the position slightly to ensure the iron found its mark. They then both looked at each other and Six mouthed the countdown silently on her lips, Mono following along before they finally let go at the same time. 

Gravity gripped the iron with extreme prejudice, the force pulling it towards the ground once more. Then, it hit the adult square in the face, its skull deforming inwards as blood rapidly poured from its eyes and mouth. 

Six nodded, it wouldn’t get up from that. 

The Yellow Devil then took a deep breath before looking at Mono, finding him to be looking at her with a blank expression. Once he noticed her looking, his face became slightly angered again but there wasn’t as much of it for some reason. He then turned to the rest of them, gesturing to form up before pointing to a nearby house that was partially destroyed so they could take refuge for a few minutes and figure out where they were. 

Six nodded along with the others, whilst her raincoat was very much suited to blocking out the rain, that didn’t mean she liked staying in it forever. So, she followed them as they made their way across to the house, mind idly staring up at the skyline. 

Despite the fact the buildings blocked it, Six could very much feel it. 

The Tower. 

She narrowed her eyes, it was too soon in her book to be seeing that thing again. The clouds overhead formed around where it was, black stains on the sky that blocked out the Sun, forming a storm that never ceased. 

Six then felt a strong gale blow through her, sending cold air through her bones. Despite her earlier thoughts, the girl wondered if the storm ever ceased. 

Another strong wind passed through her, annoyance rising through her. 

Could the wind at least stop howling for a moment?

The wind howled. 

If one were to listen they would think it was just howling, the sound of a gale blowing so fast that it created a sound that annoyed the ears. But if one were to listen closely, they would hear something else, something buried deep under the sound of the storm blowing.  

Laughter. 

High in pitch, greatly amused and filled with a deep sense of impending suffering. 

It laughed because its prey was running, thinking it could escape from it. What were they thinking? How could one outrun it? The wind that consumed the North. 

The Wind laughed again, its gales surrounding the prey that ran terrified, faces contorted into shapes that brought amusement and joy to the wind.  

Yes.... Let them run, let them scream, their despair and fear were delicious to it! 

It was closing in now, the storm picking up in intensity, soon enough they would find flesh ripped from bone without warning. But they wouldn’t die, oh no... The Wind always made sure they died slowly, draw it out. 

The Wind found it better that way. 

But as it closed in, it felt a disturbance in the currents. The wind was blowing against something, air passing over it, creating a spot where something was, where something was moving.   

Right into the eye of the storm. 

The Wind felt confusion and amusement, what prey decided to do that? To walk straight into the ‘belly of the beast’ as these little playthings would say. It turned to face the way the disturbance came, eagerness arising within its shapeless form. Soon the prey would arrive and it would show the horrible error it made. 

A silhouette appeared in its storm and the Wind made the currents change in anticipation, ready to act. Then, the thing came into view and the Wind stopped. 

Why was that here? 

It was a plaything that was for sure, but it was one of theirs, one of those that had been turned outside in, soul stripped to the void and face null. These trapped things never ventured out from their homes, so why was it here? 

As if to answer, the Viewer dropped to its knees, the thing it was carrying revealed as the adult tore off the cover that concealed it. 

A TV. 

The Wind stared at the set for a second before a sense of interest rose through it. 

They wanted to talk and the Wind knew that they only talked when something important was happening. 

So, the Wind would respond, if only because it wanted to know why it had been interrupted. 

It reformed what many would call its body, the wind that raged around dying down to a more subdued state. It then reached out to the box of entertainment, pressing its ‘hand’ against the glass and letting a small sliver of its own power enter the thing. 

The TV then burst suddenly to life and the wind felt its presence transported elsewhere. 

It felt the borders of time and space suddenly become null and void, its mind transported to a place that bordered on both reality and dreams. This was a place that no mortal would ever see, yet it was a place that to beings like them, was home. 

The Wind felt itself suddenly stop, finding itself in what many would call a void of nothingness, though it knew better than them. It had seen true nothingness, the lack of anything that was found beyond the borders of reality, beyond even where they came from. 

It was one of the few things it feared. 

The Wind ‘looked’ around, finding itself to be the first to arrive, an amusing thought considering that the one who organized this was a master of plans and fate.  

Then, it felt the space change and the Wind knew the others had arrived. 

The first was of course, the one who organized this meeting, a being who an entire city was dedicated to and the one who sent this little box. 

The Eyes. 

Their sibling. 

Though that word was of mortal use, the closest thing they could attach to their relation to one another. 

The Eyes were a construct of thousand eyes and gurgling flesh, each eye looking somewhere else, eternally shifting in shape and colour from one second to the next. Its presence was one of age, a reflection of its relation to the Wind for it had existed the longest, a trait that it often bragged about. 

Its multi-eyed gaze landed on the Wind, though only a handful of them actually focused on it, a curiosity sparking in the ones that did. The Wind felt the energy in the space change and the Eyes regarded them before ‘speaking.’ 

“Observation: You are early.” The Eyes ‘spoke’, the thoughts and emotions that the being lacked apparent in its ‘voice’ as it changed from one pitch to another, yet its tone never changed. 

The Wind felt irritation rise within its winds, yet it calmed the storm and instead focused it on replying.  

“Because you wanted me here, did you not? ” It replied, a voice emerging from its winds that a lesser being would describe as sounding high in pitch and eternally faraway, yet it would always be heard right next to their ears. 

The Eyes knew they were angered, it was impossible for things like them to hide how they felt, too much power to ever do so.  

“Statement: Your emotion is misplaced.” They replied, eyes that were focused on it becoming lethargic, a sign that it did not approve of the Wind’s anger. “There is no reason for it.” 

A sound emerged from the Wind that the Eyes knew as their version of a scoff. “No reason? You summon us in the middle of our hunt. ” It replied, winds releasing a slight howl. “ Yet you haven’t even given a reason for it. ” 

“This one is correct. " Another ‘voice’ added, a thing that was filled with gurgles and dread, an undertone of dark pleasure hidden beneath it all. 

The Wind turned to face them.  

Their other sibling had arrived. 

They emerged into being, their form dwarfing the others in both a literal and metaphysical sense as they looked down upon the others. 

Their form was a combination of metal and flesh, both blending into the other seamlessly, impossible to tell where either ended or began. Their center was nothing but a large dome of steel, a furnace that burned with a fire that would never die, that hungered forever for anything that lived and possessed a soul. Their tendrils of flesh and iron extended from their body, ending in claws that pulled things from seemingly nowhere to deposit them into its gaping maw.  

The sibling turned their single hungering eye to the eldest, their comically small head that sat atop their furnace that mortals would compare to that of their myths of hungering lizards that produced fire, not moving.

“You awaken us from our slumber when it is not time to feed... ” They gurgled, a tendril extending to point at the Eyes. “Explain, or we shall leave to satisfy our hunger. ” 

A sense of amusement rose through the Winds being, they were always the same, weren’t they? Simple, yet straightforward and not caring of the consequences, a testament to who they were. 

The Maw, consumer and bringer of desire. 

Another set of eyes focused on the Maw, narrowing into what the Wind would call their form of irritation, though they knew it was still nothing compared to the others. 

“Response: I shall cut to the answer then.” Voice changing briefly to something else that made the Wind do a double take.  

Was that... excitement?  

Their sibling’s eyes that were focused on the Maw shifted slightly, suddenly gaining a look that made the Wind uncomfortable.  

“I have found your chosen.”  

The Wind felt their larger sibling grow still... 

Then their furnace burned brighter, a fire rising through them that made the space around them rise to heats that would make elements undergo fusion. Their tendrils stopped shoveling prey into their maw, head focusing on the eldest. 

“ Is this one sure of this? ” They asked, a deep rumbling emerging from their form as they spoke, their joy apparent. 

“Statement: I have felt their power upon mine, through one of my own.” The Eyes responded.  

The Maw’s fire died down slightly from the conformation, resuming their tendrils to shovel more ‘fuel’ into their mouth.  

But the Wind was still angered. 

“Why have you dragged us here then? ” They questioned, winds shifting in currents. “ You do not require us for your little pets... ” 

The eldest regarded them. “Correction: Whilst you may not be involved with our chosen, you are involved with the restoration of my design...” 

“Or do you wish for your games to end?” 

A surge of fury rose through the Wind, their form raging with a storm that could put those of this planet to shame. Yet, they calmed it for they knew their sibling spoke the truth, they had indeed assisted with the restoration of the Eye’s plan. 

For they had helped construct it before and they wished for it to be again. 

That brought another question to the Wind, however. 

“You require both for the cycle, do you not? ” They questioned, winds changing direction. “Where is yours? ” 

The Eyes shifted slightly, form changing shape again. “Answer: Unknown, Broadcaster has not left area of signal, yet lack of usage has left location unknown.” 

A beat passed. 

“Additional: But that does not matter, the other is more crucial, for they are harder to pinpoint.” They added. 

The Maw regarded the eldest. “Then what is this one’s plan? ” They asked eagerly.

Mono hated this city. 

He hated it for many reasons, the sense of fear that it brought, the surfacing of memories that brought pain, the constant threat of death and violence around every corner. They were just a few of the reasons why he hated this damned place, part of him wishing for it to be reduced to rubble. 

Yet, the current reason why he hated it was because of this accursed rain. 

Ever since he could remember, the Pale city had been consumed by a storm that raged overhead, never ceasing in its constant downpour of rain that flooded the streets and made the air freeze. Back then, Mono had put up with the weather, fear and anxiety pushing him forward and ignoring the bitter cold. 

Now however, the rain clung to his coat and bag, drenching both and irritating him to no end.  

They had taken refuge in the collapsed home temporarily, taking stock of where they were in the city and which direction they needed to go. The Brothers had also taken a moment to breathe, the encounter with the sewer-dwelling adult having surprised all of them and as such, a moment's rest was needed. 

Mono had taken to climbing up the stairs of the home that had thankfully not collapsed, using the extra height to see if he could pinpoint where they were.  

He had stared for a few moments, eyes tracing over the few buildings that he could see over before his ears picked up on the floorboards creaking behind him, though no footsteps were heard. 

Though despite that, he already knew who it was. 

Six came to a stop beside him, hooded eyes looking over the street they resided in as Mono fought down the urge to scowl at her. Instead, he focused on looking for any landmarks that could point them in the right direction.  

The girl next to him said nothing, simply staring out into the city for a minute as he scanned before she finally spoke. 

“Know where we are?” She asked, voice that same blank tone that was difficult to read. 

Mono sighed slightly, turning to face her. “Not exactly, its been a long time since I’ve been here.” He answered, voice turning sour as he remembered. “Ever since....” 

Six silenced him by raising her hand. “Don’t, that’s not what we’re here for.” She stated. 

The teen ruffled at the words slightly but calmed himself, he knew what she was saying was true, though that didn’t mean he had to constantly put up with her rude statements. 

Regardless, Mono looked out over the city, eyes scanning again for anything that stood out since he was last here. Then, he saw it, a familiar landmark that indicated where they needed to go.  

A statue. 

It was heavily damaged, even before he left the city it had been, but now the statue was missing an arm and its head. The statue depicted what Mono guessed was an adult man, standing tall and pointing at something, the other hand that was lost had carried something if he remembered correctly. The base of the statue was steel, heavily stained with the passage of time along with the stone construction of the statue. 

More importantly, however, the statue was familiar and Mono knew where it was located in the city. 

It was on the more on the Eastern side, the district that it sat in having once been a park if he was to believe what some of the other kids had said. That meant that the place they needed to go was in the opposite direction, which would be easier to pinpoint with the help of what sat in the middle of this place. 

The Tower. 

Mono didn’t dare even look in the direction of the thing, yet he knew it was there, watching the entire city, signal reaching out to capture them...

To capture him. 

He shook his head, focus, this wasn’t about him. 

The boy then turned his attention to Six, finding her to still be looking over the city with a blank expression. 

“I know where we are now.” He informed her, eyes narrowing. “Let's go.” 

Mono then turned to leave down the stairs but Six responded unexpectedly, making him stop. 

“Why did you hesitate earlier?” She asked, not turning to face him.  

He knew what she was talking about of course, his reluctance to drop the iron on the adult earlier.  

“It... wasn’t necessary Six.” He answered, turning to face her.  

The girl turned to look at him, a confused expression on her face. “Wasn’t necessary? Didn’t you burn-” 

“That’s different.” He interrupted, pointing at her angrily. 

Six simply shook her head, turning it forward again. “It’s the same.” 

Mono narrowed his eyes at the back of her head. “It still wasn’t necessary, it was-” 

“Horrible? Cruel? Monstrous? Something an adult would do?” Six interrupted sarcastically before shaking her head again. “Don’t bother, I’ve heard it before, including from you.” 

That made him raise an eyebrow at her. “Heard it before?” He asked, eyes narrowing. “What have you done before...?” He trailed off. 

Six seemed to sigh, but he wasn’t sure. “Like I said, I’ve done a lot of things Mono.” She stated, turning her head to barely glance at him. “A LOT of things...” 

A brief silence then engulfed them before Six shook her head and finally moved from her position, nodding her head to Mono for him to move.  

The boy reluctantly followed, questions settling into his mind about just what had Six had done in all the time after they separated. 

He shook his head, he needed to focus on what they were here for. 

Saving Renny.

The group set off once more after they got their bearings, direction chosen as they used the dreaded Tower as a reference point. 

An atmosphere of oppression slowly blanketed them, the dreary sky and low noise of the Tower doing nothing to aid in how they all felt. The Brothers were the worst affected, constantly scanning the buildings nervously, palms sweaty and ready to jump at the slightest sound. 

The rest of them fared slightly better, each of them having already experienced a part of what the city offered. 

Though that didn’t mean they had seen it all. 

Indeed, despite their experience with the city they still scanned it like the Brothers, eyes watching every flooded corner of the streets they passed through, every window that could hold an adult. 

It was suicide not to. 

Many a time as they walked they were forced to divert, the streets and buildings that had collapsed over the years blocking many of the simple ways forward, forcing them through buildings and over houses. Luckily most of them appeared to be free of the Viewers, but that didn’t mean they were all gone, as they had spotted some on the roofs of houses, staring into the storm. 

A storm that was getting worse.  

It had already been raining heavily, accompanied by wind that blew lids from trash bins and rattled doors. But over time it had gotten worse and the group had started to struggle pressing forward and dodging trash that had become airborne. 

Eventually, the storm became too much and Mono had made the decision to seek refugee until it died down. 

The Brothers had obviously disagreed with him, wanting to push forward to wherever they needed to go and get what they needed, turning to Six to agree with them.  

Surprisingly however, Six had agreed with Mono, knowing that what he was saying was the right decision, as the storm that raged overhead was one of the worst she had seen 

So reluctantly, they had searched for a place to hunker down, Alle managing to find some kind of cellar entrance that went underneath a home that was labeled ‘The Grouse.’ 

None of them knew what the home was for, as it appeared much more furbished inside than others, but that didn’t matter to them. Instead, they went about prying the cellar open before they closed the doors behind them, the darkness that surrounded them warded off with the flashlight. 

The cellar was obviously cold, the concrete walls and floor not providing any comfort, though it was still much better than outside. The inside of the cellar was filled with kegs, both of the wooden and metal variety that seemed to contain a liquid of some kind, though a quick test from Netty had warranted a negative reaction. 

Stub then suggested the idea of building a small fire to help them, something which they all agreed to, as the Brothers and Six ventured up the concrete stairs to find anything to help them. The door had been difficult to open, eventually doing so as both Six and Stub grabbed the doorhandle and forced it open, the metal groaning in response. 

The inside of the home matched what they had seen from the outside, highly furnished with carpets and fabrics on the floors and chairs that gave it an air of comfort. It also possessed a countertop of some kind, decorated with colourful labels and taps that were branded with strange symbols. Indeed, the home would have been ideal to stay in, if not for the smashed windows letting the storm in. 

So, the group went about gathering what they needed to make a fire, the Brothers wandering over to the seats whilst Six went behind the countertop.  

She searched through the space underneath it, throwing aside the numerous glasses and bottles filled with foul smelling liquid that would serve no purpose to them. Her hands stopped on one bottle however, that would serve both her and the others greatly. 

Lighter fluid. 

It was a good find, one that Six quickly took advantage of, as she took her lighter from her backpack and quickly went about refilling it. After a few clumsy tries of getting the liquid in and occasionally spilling it, the lighter was filled and after a few short clicks, a flame once more sprouted from the little box. 

Six felt a small smile grow on her face, it was... nice to have the lighter that had helped her working again.  

She then came out from behind the countertop, finding Netty and Stub to be holding a combination of wood and stuffing they had taken from the seats in the home. They then set off back down the cellar, shutting the door closed to keep the storm out. 

The group of three then arrived in the cellar, finding Mono and Alle having picked one of the corners of the cellar to occupy and having moved some of the empty boxes around them to form a small shelter. The Brothers then went about making the fire, using some of the loose parts of concrete in the cellar to form a ring, whilst the wood and stuffing was placed inside. 

Six then withdrew her newly revived lighter, setting the stuffing alight and slowly allowing the fire to blossom into a comfortable warmth that brought respite.  

A few minutes passed as they enjoyed the fire, before they all decided to have some food from what they had brought. They had all dug into the rations they had, the air filled with the quiet sounds of watchful nibbling.  

After they had finished their meals, the group fell into silence for what seemed like forever, none of them saying anything as the storm outside raged on.  

Mono then told them to get some rest and that if the storm outside started to calm then they would begin to move again. The rest of them agreed, withdrawing sleeping bags from their bags and laying them out, Alle volunteering to take first watch. 

Which is what the girl was still doing. 

She sat on the outskirts of their little camp, seated on a loose piece of wood, just close enough that she could barely feel the warmth of the fire, whilst she kept a look out. The bodyguard had only been watching for what must have been an hour, the rest of the group having already fallen asleep. 

Or so she thought...

The sound of footsteps approached behind her and Alle sound found a body of yellow standing next to her. She turned her head upwards in confusion, finding Six to be indeed standing next to her, hood down and crimson eyes looking down at her. 

Alle narrowed her eyes, tilting her head to the others behind her. “I’m on watch, so what are you doing up?” She whispered, voice slightly accusatory. 

The girl looked ahead. “Can’t sleep, not use to... others.” She explained, eyes briefly flickering to Alle. 

Alle lifted an eyebrow at her, but nevertheless nodded. “You’ve never slept around others?”  

Six shook her head. “Never, only with...” She trailed off, the answer seeming to get caught in her throat. 

But Alle knew what it was. 

“Mono.” She finished for the girl, eyes briefly flickering over to her friend that slept. 

The girl seemed reluctant to nod at that, but she did regardless.  

Alle then looked up and down at Six before shuffling herself along the piece of wood and gesturing for the girl to sit down. Six eyed her wearily, eyes filled with distrust. But eventually, she sat down, hands resting on her knees. 

A silence then engulfed the two of them, the only sound being that of the fire that crackled behind them.  

Then, Alle sighed and turned to Six. “Hey...” She whispered, getting the teens attention. 

“I know you don’t exactly trust me-” She started, the girl’s eyes already filling with a look that screamed sarcasm. “Especially with what happened a week ago.” 

“But... what exactly happened between you two?”  

The girl sighed at that, hand coming up to tiredly rub at her eyes. “Why does everyone keep asking me that?” She responded, voice coming out exhausted. 

Alle raised an eyebrow. “Because you two have history... don’t you?”  

Six turned to look at her with a deadpan expression. “If by history, you mean the two weeks we spent together, then yes.” 

The bodyguard felt disbelief rise at that. “Two weeks?!” She hissed out quietly. 

What had happened between these two that warranted their level of hatred for one another after only knowing each other for two weeks? 

Six nodded. “Yes, though they were a... complicated two weeks spent in this city.” She stated, eyes wandering elsewhere. 

Alle tilted her head at that. “You’re from the Pale city?”  

The Yellow Devil shook her head. “No.” 

A beat passed before Alle spoke again. “Where... are you from?” She asked hesitantly. 

Six didn’t respond and instead only shrugged, causing Alle to narrow her eyes in confusion, she didn’t know where she was from? 

Regardless, she shook her head and focused on the girl again. “Then how did you meet?” She asked. 

The girl turned her head to look at the girl, face scrunching up in annoyance. “That’s none of your business.” She stated, voice coming out calm yet venomous. 

Alle narrowed her eyes, pointing at Six. “You said that before, but you did something to Mono...” She leaned in slightly. “My best friend and made him nearly kill one of our own.” 

“So... its my business now.” 

The girl narrowed her eyes, neither backing down as they started at one another. Then, Six unexpectedly sighed, rubbing her eyes again as she looked away. 

“What do you even see in him?” She asked tiredly. 

Alle gave an angry huff at that but replied regardless. “A good, honest and stalwart friend, one who puts others above him.” 

Six made an unamused sound at that. “I thought so too.” She responded, eyes looking forward. “But I know better.” 

The bodyguard looked at her angrily. “You know better? You’ve only known him two weeks, how could you know him better?”  

Six glanced at her, a look in her eyes that gave the bodyguard pause. “How well do you know him then?” The girl asked, voice seemingly curious. 

Alle scoffed. “Better than you, considering I met him seven years ago now...” She trailed off, staring up at the ceiling. “Right in this very city.” 

The Yellow Devil raised an eyebrow at her response. “You met him here?” 

A nod was Alle’s response. “Yep.” 

“How.... did you even meet?” The girl asked, head tilting. 

Alle made to respond but stopped herself, allowing a smile to come to her face. “I’ll tell you, IF...” She leaned in slightly. “You tell me what happened in those two weeks.” 

Six pulled her face back into a frown, eyes narrowing and Alle thought she would give a bitter response. Instead however, the girl turned her head forward, eyes unreadable. 

“I’ll tell you a single part of those two weeks, nothing else.” She stated, eyes flickering over to Alle briefly. 

Alle wanted to argue, a heat rising in her throat, but she stopped it. She knew that the girl was already offering more than what she was comfortable with so she’d have to take what she could get. 

So, Alle reluctantly nodded. “Fine...” 

The bodyguard then readjusted herself to face the girl, Six doing the same as Alle laid her sword in her lap. 

Alle then took a deep breath, eyes closing as she thought of the past and opened them again.  

“It was seven years ago now...” She started. 

“And I was alone.” 

Chapter Text

It was cold. 

It was always cold, she knew that. 

But today seemed colder than normal...

Maybe it was because she hadn’t seen the Sun all day. 

Maybe it was because she hadn’t eaten anything today. 

Maybe it was because her clothes were starting to get ruined. 

Or maybe.... 

It was because she was the only one left. 

The group of other kids she had been traveling with, those she could call friends, those that always came through for each other... 

Were all gone. 

They’d been picked off one by one, ranks slowly whittling down until she was all that was left. She could still remember all of their faces, the faces that brought comfort and security, slowly being turned into ones of despair as she watched them go. 

Billy had been the first, falling into one of the great holes that littered the city, screaming as he slipped and fell into it, the rest powerless to watch as he fell. 

They never even heard him hit the bottom. 

Ash had been next, the hooded boy who always wore a smile, screaming in horror as he was slowly swallowed alive by an adult, the others looking away as they ran from the humongous adult. 

The sound of bones crunching still haunted her. 

Bek had gone after, the girl who could always lift their spirits no matter what, had unfortunately nothing to say as her head suddenly found itself separated from her body, courtesy of an adult wielding what she could call a comically large pair of scissors. 

But they cut her neck like saws. 

After that, they found themselves down to only three, but the death still continued. 

Lucky was next, so called for his seeming ability to come out on top, regardless of what happened to him, someone who always seemed to have luck on his side. Unfortunately, luck can run both ways, something which he experienced when he attempted to retrieve a knife to defend himself from an adult, only to be impaled by a dozen of them that fell when he tore it from its place. 

The knives weren’t even sharp. 

That left only two, herself and Pol, the girl who was her closest friend. 

She tried to keep her alive, constantly staying awake to watch over her, constantly looking around every corner to make sure nothing was there and trying to stay away from the TVs as much as possible. But unfortunately, she couldn’t remain awake forever and as such, she slipped into unconsciousness, Pol ensuring her that she would be fine. 

The fog from her mind had lifted as she awoke, a small smile on her face as she sat up to greet Pol. 

Only to see an empty room...

At first, she thought she was merely outside, perhaps keeping watching, perhaps to go to the bathroom, maybe she was going to get something. She waited an hour before she walked around the block, searching for any sign of her. 

But she found nothing, not even a single trace of her. 

She remembered walking back to the little room, sitting down on the floor and staring at it for what seemed like hours. She felt cold, empty, a need to cry in her chest yet she couldn’t, how could she...? 

When she was the only one left? 

Alle had remained like that for a day, simply sitting in the room till morning, a part of her forcing her body to finally move, to continue on. She did, but everything seemed so... dull, cold. 

She had gone building to broken down building, scrounging food that she barely ate and sleeping off a tiredness that never went away. Some days she simply sat on the ledge of a roof, staring down at the ground and wondering what happened to the others, wondering if how they went was painful. 

It made her wonder how she would die. 

That was a thought that should have scared her, it should have made her rebutted it mentally and toss it aside. 

Instead, she simply let it sit there, a thought that would come and go. 

And now, it came again, as she felt the cold numb her hands. 

Would she die of starvation? Of the cold? Would one of those adults with the horrible faces come to get her? 

Would the one in the TV come to- 

A loud clang interrupted her thoughts. 

That... wasn’t a rat, it was too noisy, too... angry sounding. 

Alle turned her head slowly to the direction of the sound, a small sense of confusion building up inside. She couldn’t remember any adults in this place, then again she hadn’t checked that thoroughly, so what could it be? 

An adult that wandered in? 

The building collapsing some more? 

An animal bigger than a rat? 

Or maybe... 

Another kid? 

That last one brought a familiar lick of hope inside her, if it was another kid then maybe she wouldn’t be alone anymore? Maybe she could have another friend again? 

Maybe... 

She stopped her thoughts, she hadn’t even seen what had caused it yet. 

So, she got up from her pile of fabric she had called a bed and ventured to see what had made the noise. 

Alle made her way through the building, descending the stairs of the apartment to where she had heard the sound, steps creaking as she did. She then made her way across the floor, feet barely making a sound as she spotted a door across the hallway that was ajar. 

A door that Alle KNEW was closed before. 

She slowly pressed herself against it, leaning her head slightly to hear what was going on inside. There was a brief moment of silence, followed by the sound of something being thrown across the room and landing with a thud. 

It sounded like someone was searching for something. 

The girl pressed her lips together, what was she doing? For all she knew it could be an adult, looking for its next victim, the next one it crushed, tore apart or ate. 

And then, there would be no one left. 

But... 

If there was even the slightest chance it wasn’t... 

She had to take it. 

So, slowly and carefully she peeked her head around the door, only exposing as much of herself as needed. Her eyes scanned the room left to right, seeing nothing but worn furniture and opened cupboards. 

She felt herself wilt slightly, had she imagined it? 

But then, she heard another noise, the sound of something being tossed aside and hitting the floor in front of her, making her jump slightly. Alle turned her gaze upwards to the cupboards on the wall,  seeing a shape step out of one of the opened ones, jumping down to the countertop with an audible thud. 

And once they did, Alle let herself smile widely. 

It was another kid, though a pretty strange one at that. 

They were a boy, standing only slightly taller than Alle and possessing quite a thin frame, even with the clothes they wore. Indeed, the clothes were quite baggy, a coat that nearly touched the ground along with baggy brown pants and a green shirt that was underneath it all.  

The boy had no shoes on his feet and from the looks of things they had quite a few scars and bruises on them as well on his hands, one of which was heavily wrapped in bandages, stained red. 

But the most obvious feature was what they wore on their head. 

A tin can, covering their entire head with a pair of holes cut out that allowed them to see, the top of it slightly open.  

Alle had seen a lot of kids cover their faces with numerous things, scarves, hoods, bandages, heck she even remembered one who wore an entire bowl on their head. A tin can however, was a bit more... eccentric, desperate even, like they were trying their best to hide something. 

She didn’t mind though, so long as they were friendly, that’s all she needed. 

The girl watched as the boy went over to the thing they had thrown, Alle looking at it and realizing it was a tin filled with some kind of preserved fruits, a sweet find in this city. 

So, as the boy picked up the tin, Alle decided to enter slowly and greet the boy.  She made her way into the room, feet not making any noise as the boy had his back to her. Then, her foot met a displaced floorboard that creaked loudly and she cringed slightly. 

The boy reacted instantly, dropping the can to the floor and spinning in place to face her. Despite the helmet and low light, Alle could just make out the boy’s eyes, how they quivered in place with fear for a second as they stared at her. 

Then, she watched as they slowly narrowed into slits, anger contained within them that made Alle slightly concerned.  

A silence enveloped the room, the air tense as the boy simply stared at her unmoving. Finally, Alle decided to introduce herself, if only to break the horrible silence. 

So, she took a step forward and gave the boy a smile, opening her mouth to ask him what he was doing. 

Immediately, the boy reacted, his stance changing into a defensive one as he took a step back, hands clenching and slowly raising themselves.  

Alle stalled in her advance, eyes worriedly locked on to the boy’s fists, why was he so defensive? She then raised her hands in peace, a sign that she wasn’t going to do anything as she attempted to take another step forward. The boy however, was clearly not wanting her close, as he took a threatening step forward, causing Alle to stumble backwards in surprise.  

She hadn’t expected that.  

The boy stomped forward again and Alle took another step back, the boy pointing at the door, a sign for her to leave. Alle looked briefly back at the door before looking at him with pleading eyes, she just wanted to help, she just wanted a friend. 

She just wanted the cold to go away. 

But clearly, the boy didn’t want what she was offering, as he raised his fist in a clear sign of violence, causing Alle to turn and walk away, a horrible feeling washing over her. As she walked through the doorway, she took a final look behind her, seeing the boy pick up the tin he had dropped and stare at it intently as he tried to work out how to open it. 

A task that she knew would be difficult on his own. 

But he didn’t want her help, so she simply kept walking.

Despite his threats, Alle had found herself staying in proximity of the boy, watching as he went about doing.... well, not much. 

Alle had watched from a distance as the boy had eaten most of the food in the cupboards, sleeping in one of them when night came, curled up tightly and seeming to constantly shake.  

It was... very difficult to watch, to not reach out and help. 

Eventually, the cupboards had run dry and the boy had left the building with a suspicious look back, as if to confirm that she wasn’t following.  

But she had followed, she just kept out of sight and hid. 

The boy moved from street to street, head hung low, the rain that constantly wept from the sky pinging off his tin helmet. Alle watched from a distance, following him as he finally took refuge in what Alle knew as a clothes store. She had waited for a minute, even as the rain soaked her for the boy to become engrossed in whatever he was doing so she could follow.  

Alle then crept into the store, seeing the racks and shelves filled with clothes meant for the adults many times their size. Some of them brought disgust to Alle’s eyes, other brought a sadness of being too small to ever try any on. 

She then heard the sound of fabric being slung around and Alle found herself hiding in the racks of clothes that spanned the entire shop. She heard the sound again and Alle moved herself along the racks of dresses and shirts, slowly pushing them aside as she managed to finally locate the boy. 

Once more his back was to her, his hands digging into a box and searching through it for something. Alle leaned in slightly, gripping the hanging dress in front of her to get a better look, what was he looking for? 

The boy then reached in, pulling a hat that was contained within the box, a cap that was black in colouration with a large bill on the front. He looked it over for a second before tossing it aside, clearly not interested in it. The boy then dug his hands back into the box, continuing to search through it. 

Alle leaned forward slightly more, was he just looking for a hat? 

He then pulled another hat out, a wide brimmed one that looked quite fancy and nice. The boy however, didn't seem to think so, as he tossed it across the shop like it had burned him, starting at it for a few seconds before shaking his head. 

Alle raised an eyebrow at the reaction, it was just a hat, why was he so.... frightened of it? 

The boy then went back to search again after taking a deep breath, Alle leaning forward slightly more. Unfortunately, she hadn’t considered how loose the dress was on the hanger and as such, suddenly felt herself careening towards the ground with dress in hand. 

There was a loud thud as she met the carpeted floor, followed by her being covered with the dress and the hangar that landed on her back, causing a small gasp of pain to escape her lips. She then went to move, but stopped herself when she heard the boy releasing a noise of surprise, causing her to suddenly become still. 

A beat passed, the sound of nothing but the rain falling outside entering her ears to break the silence. Then, she heard the sound of footsteps approaching her, followed by them stopping right in front of her. Alle held her breath, but it did her no good, as the dress was suddenly pulled from atop her, revealing the boy who looked at her with concealed yet anger filled eyes. 

The boy then reached down, pulling her up by her purple shirt until she was face to helmet with him, eyes staring right at her. She turned her head away slightly, gripping his arms with her own in a pleading manner. The boy leaned in closer, asking a silent question that very much obvious. 

Why was she following him? 

Alle merely cast her eyes downwards, a slight amount of shame contained within her brown eyes. 

She just wanted a friend. 

So, she reached out to the boy’s hand, wanting to grip it to show that she meant no harm to him. However, the second her hand touched his uninjured one he reacted, shoving her to the ground and backing off slightly, a glare behind his tin that made it clear that he didn’t like that. 

Alle raised her hands again, signaling she wouldn’t try anything. The boy huffed and then walked away, returning to the box to continue looking through it. Once he did, Alle stood up and sighed, seems as though he wasn’t wanting to engage.  

Still, the shop did open the opportunity for her to get some new clothes, her shirt in particular was starting to fall apart.  

Alle moved herself over to the other side, carefully walking past the boy who eyed her as she did. She stopped at the clothes obviously sized for kids, items that were much smaller than those of the adults. It was strange, adults hated children, yet stores like these and some others always seemed to contain things meant for them and no other kid knew why. 

She mentally shrugged, it didn’t matter anyway. 

The girl quickly went about pulling some from the hangars, trying to find one that was both practical and to her tastes. Unfortunately, there were only two that satisfied her tastes, a long-sleeved black shirt and a short-sleeved brown one. 

Alle felt annoyance creep up her, why did nowhere have purple? 

Still, she had to decide and both choices were appealing, making her push her lips in thought. Then, she heard the sound of the boy shuffling through the box, making her smile and turn to the source. 

She saw the boy still arm deep in the box, causing her to release a short whisper that got his attention. The boy looked up with annoyance, clearly not happy with her still being here and what she wanted.  

Alle then held up the two shirts, gesturing her head to both of them to ask for his opinion.  

The boy raised his eyebrows, eyes still filled with anger but now a tinge of confusion had clearly entered them.  

Alle then raised the black shirt over her torso, holding it for a second before changing it to the brown one, eyes looking at the boy with a questioning gaze. 

An understanding then passed through the boy’s eye, causing him to let out an annoyed growl before turning to the box again. Alle pushed her lips, staring at the boy’s choice of clothing before looking at the shirts again. 

Brown it was then. 

She moved herself around one of the shelves to take off the old purple shirt, giving it a sad glance over before she tossed it aside and pulled on the new one, finding it to be much comfier that her old one. Now, she couldn’t just have a shirt, the constant rain in the city would chill her to the bone if she did that. 

So, she began to look around, searching for anything like a sweater or coat to wear.  

Most of the racks that contained such things were empty or lacking those that fitted her, save for one that Alle found too ugly to even consider wearing. 

Who would even wear that? 

She then heard the boy shuffle around again, turning to see him peel another hat out of the box, this one looking like a big fluffy animal that engulfed your entire head. The boy seemed to look it over, debating whether or not to wear it before noticing her staring and turning with narrowed eyes. 

Alle noticed his gaze and turned her eyes to look at the hat, shaking her head, it didn’t suit him. 

The boy seemed offended at that, eyes switching back to the hat in disbelief before scoffing at her, seeming to not agree with her opinion. 

Alle merely let an amused smile come to her lips, turning back to look for anything to wear. 

Yet despite his disagreement with her, he didn’t keep the hat.

Alle had fallen into a kind of routine with the boy, one that she could tell he wasn’t fond of. 

She followed him around everywhere he went, keeping her distance from him at all times. Of course, the boy didn’t approve, at first constantly hissing at her, silent threats of violence against her. Alle of course, ignored them and simply moved back further from him, constantly giving him plenty of room. The boy still didn’t enjoy her presence, but the room seemed to make him at least a little more comfortable. 

The boy had wandered around the city aimlessly, seemingly not having any direction nor objective in mind regarding where he went. 

He... simply kept wandering. 

Of course, they couldn’t wander forever and had to sleep eventually. Every time they did the boy would find somewhere out of the way, a corner, a vent or a box and sleep in it, making sure she stayed a good distance away from her. Alle always did, sleeping in a pile of clothes, blankets or anything else she could find. 

Today was no different. 

The boy was currently snuggled up in a crate on its side, a worn blanket pulled over him that provided enough warmth for him to sleep.  

Alle however, had no such luck.  

The area they had stopped in was a simple alleyway, devoid of nearly anything useful that could shelter her or provide any defense against the cold. Thankfully, it was one of the rare days that it hadn’t rained, though that didn’t mean the biting cold stopped, digging its teeth into her skin. 

A sigh passed from her lips, looking over at the boy as he sat in relative comfort, slightly angry that he hadn’t even thought about helping her. Still, Alle didn’t complain, there had to be a reason he didn’t.  

Alle then stood up, it was clear she wasn’t going to get any sleep, so she decided to do something else. 

Something that still related to the boy. 

She had noticed over the past few days that the boy hadn’t changed the bandages on his hand, nor had he even attempted to look at whatever injury lay underneath, which given how he reacted by hissing in pain whenever he attempted to use it, was not a good sign. He needed a fresh change and something to at least partially clean it before it became infected. 

Alle stood, objective in mind as she took another look at the boy before exiting the alley. The girl knew that would she sought could be found in a few places, though finding a location that hadn’t already been picked through by other kids was difficult. 

She walked through the rain clogged streets, eyes glancing around to the many homes and stores that littered it, looking for any of the places that had what she needed. Eventually, her eyes spotted one of the places in question. 

It was a store of course, one that had a massive cross that hung from the outside of it that was painted white, though it had long since faded. Alle remembered from her group that these places had a strange name that escaped her, but she did know that these were places filled with things to help treat people, so it was the best place to look. 

Alle looked up at the front, seeing that the massive windowpane was smashed long ago, allowing the wind inside and giving her an easy entrance. She had to take a running leap to get in, hands gripping the edge of the window and pulling herself in, allowing her to take a look around. 

The inside was clearly trashed, more than likely from the weather being allowed in. Multiple shelves were smashed on the floor, bottles and pills were scattered about and the floor was flooded with water. The girl felt a frown grow on her face, there would be nothing good in this part of the store by the looks of it. Alle then raised her head, eyes locking on to the door at the back of the room. 

Maybe.... there was stuff back there? 

Alle jumped down from the window, feet meeting the soaked floor and splashing the cold water up her legs and making her shiver. 

The boy had better be grateful for this. 

She made her way across the floor, having to jump up some of the fallen shelves and avoid the glass that was scattered everywhere. She then went under the hatch door on the counter, eventually coming to the door. It was only partially open, forcing her to spend a few seconds prying it open enough so that she could slip through. 

The room was decently sized, shelves scattered everywhere that were dusty, but lined with various bottles containing who knows what and boxes strewn about randomly. The room also contained a platform of some kind, tracks running across it that seemed to move, though Alle wasn’t sure. The girl also spotted a door on the other side of the room, though didn’t give it much heed. 

Instead, the girl tried her best to think how she was going to find anything in here. Alle began to wander through the room, eyes darting to the shelves. The room was big and there was so much in here, it would take too long to find what she was looking for and Alle didn’t want to lose the boy. 

She didn’t want to be cold. 

Her eyes darted around, annoyance building up in her chest, just where the hell was- 

Alle then suddenly stopped as her body collided with a box, knocking her out of her gazing and turning to the box. The girl leaned in forward, eyes adjusting as she read one of the words plastered across it. 

BANDAGES. 

She blinked, that was... certainly convenient. 

The girl quickly went about pulling the box open, the tape that kept the box sealed having long since lost its stick. Alle then opened it up, revealing rows and rows of the white clothes used for treating wounds. She quickly went about grabbing one of the rolls, opening up the packet and hastily stuffing it into her pocket. She managed to fit another one into a different pocket, silently disappointed that she couldn’t carry more. 

Still, she had one of the things she needed, now she just needed one more. 

Her gaze lifted to the surrounding room, now where would the other thing she needed be...? 

Alle’s eyes then fell to the door she had entered through, noticing a green box next to it that hung from the wall.  

She let out a thoughtful ‘hmm’ at the sight, it wasn’t the first place she would have thought it to be. First however, she needed to get up to it.  

The girl quickly found one of the chairs in the room that wasn’t tipped over, finding it to be one of those with multiple wheels that allowed her to push it to the box easily. She then climbed up it, just barely able to reach the box and push it off the wall. Unfortunately, it was too far up for her to grab, so it fell to the ground past her with an audible bang. 

Alle winced, she hoped nothing heard that. 

She then jumped down off the chair, opening up the box and thankfully discovering that the bottle of alcohol hadn’t broken from the fall. Alle picked up the bottle, its size forcing her to carry it, but she still smiled regardless. Hopefully, this would stop the boy’s hand from getting infected, then maybe he would- 

Alle then heard a creaking sound, emerging from her right. 

She slowly turned her head, eyes landing of the door she spotted before that she gave no heed to. Now, she regretted not looking, as the form of a Viewer slowly crept out from it. 

It was similar to most of its kind, flesh slightly sagging and face twisted into a spiral that made one’s eyes hurt if they stared too long. The only major difference with this one was the long white coat that it wore, stained lightly with red along its rims.  

The Viewer slowly panned its blank face around, head twitching as it looked for the source of the disturbance. Alle slowly tried to move for the door next to her, but the movement as small as it was, could still be noticed. 

Instantly, the Viewers head snapped to her and Alle bolted through the crack in the door. The girl managed to get a head start on the adult, though it wasn’t much as she heard the sound of the door behind her being smashed open, followed by the sound of trampling feet quickly gaining. Alle didn’t look back, that would cost her time, she needed to keep running, keeping looking forward. 

Otherwise, it would catch her, break her, she needed to- 

She then heard the sound of glass breaking behind her, followed by the Viewer howling in pain, causing her to turn and look as she climbed a fallen shelf.  

The Viewer was clutching its face in pain, Alle seeing between the gaps in its fingers that the twisted face of the adult now had shards of glass painfully stuck in it. Alle then heard a harsh whisper in front of her, seeing the boy standing on the broken front window urgently gesturing to her to run. 

Alle kept running but felt confusion at the sight, why was the boy here? Had he thrown the glass at the adult? How had he known she was here?  

Her questions would go unanswered however, as she threw the bottle up to the boy, who grabbed it on reaction, as she jumped up and then jumped down back outside. The boy then jumped down alongside her, the girl quickly taking the bottle out of the boy’s hands, much to his confusion.  

The pair of them then jumped as they heard the adult stomping around again, the boy suddenly grabbing Alle’s hand and dragging her away.  

Alle released a sound of confusion as she was pulled, nearly dropping the bottle in the process, where had this come from? Still, she didn’t pull away, instead righting herself and running alongside the boy. Eventually, the pair found themselves back in the alley, Alle taking deep breaths to calm her heart. 

She then looked up at the boy, noticing he too was panting heavily, the sound echoing out of his tin helmet. He then noticed her staring and seemingly remembered their connected hands, as he pulled his away.  

Alle frowned slightly, but didn’t do anything. 

The boy then took a few steps back before gesturing to her angrily, a question of what she thought she was doing.  

Alle placed the bottle of alcohol on the ground and pulled the bandages from her pocket, showing them to him and pointing at his hand. The boy’s eyes widened behind his helmet and he raised the hand in question, looking over the now grimy bandages and realizing what she was getting at.  

He then stared at the ground for a few seconds before nodding at her slowly, a thanks for what she did.  

Alle smiled at him before walking back over to where she had sat before, sitting herself down on the ledge of a doorway. The boy then walked back into his tipped over box, sitting himself down with the things she had gathered, back turned to her as he went to work. 

The girl sighed at the sight before a sudden gust blew through her, making her shiver and wrap her arms around herself. She rubbed her arms in an attempt to heat herself up a bit, but suddenly found a warm blanket thrown around her front, confusing her greatly. She lifted her head up, seeing the boy now lacking his blanket, but still had his back to her. 

Alle started for a few seconds, allowing a small smile to grace her face as she leaned back. 

It was small, but it was progress.

Alle knew the boy was strange the moment she met him, she knew that. 

The helmet he wore was always on, never taking it off the entire time she had been with him, not even taking it off to eat and instead simply shoving food under it. It was clear he didn’t want his face to be seen, though she didn’t know why. 

There was also the fact that he hated and feared the TVs.  

Of course, every kid hated the TVs, they were dreadful things, playing tunes and sounds that irritated the ears and mind, bringing nothing but misery. The boy however, would always react very negatively when they encountered one, stopping in his track and staring at it for several seconds, eyes filled with malice for them.  

The boy would then walk around the box in some capacity, either taking a route around it or even going a complete opposite direction, something which annoyed Alle to no end. 

Then again, it wasn’t like she was voicing her opinion. 

Indeed, whilst the boy hadn’t said or done anything to send her away now, he still seemed untrusting of her, still keeping her at a distance and forcing her to sleep on the other side of rooms. It was staring to get to her, why was he so unwilling to trust her? 

Still, she kept following him, right into the apartment they were now in.  

The entire block of apartments had fallen down, snapped in half in the middle, creating a massive blockage that forced them to go through it. The inside of it was mostly destroyed, furniture and walls broken and scattered everywhere, forcing them through unconventional ways to get to the other side. 

Currently, Alle found herself going upwards, hands grasping at a tipped over sofa as a makeshift ladder to climb through a destroyed wall. The boy was ahead of her, having already pulled himself up into the next room, the sound of his footsteps echoing above her. 

Alle found the companionship with the boy.... difficult, it was nice to not be alone, but his distrust of her was starting to bring her down. 

Maybe... she should just give up on him...

Then, she heard the boy scream. 

Alle felt herself nearly slip off the sofa from the sound, before she quickly regained her grip and sped up her acescent, fear pulsing through her. 

What had happened? 

She then pulled herself up, head peaking over in a panic.  

The room was obviously on its side, the ‘floor’ she was eye level with was actually a wall with the actual floor to her right. Most of the furniture was scattered about in pieces like the rest of the rooms, some of it even plastered across what was the ceiling.  

Then, her eyes were drawn to a noise on the other side of the room and she saw what was causing the boy so much pain.  

The boy was currently on the ground, hands under his tin helmet and clamped around his ears in an effort to stop the noise that was emanating from a TV. The TV was on its side, slightly damaged from the falling of the building with its screen cracked. Yet despite that, it was currently on and producing a god-awful sound that Alle had never heard from one before. 

Alle didn’t know what to make of it, but judging by the boy’s current state, whatever it was needed to stop.  

She quickly pulled herself up the sofa and into the room, running to try and grab the boy and pull him away from the TV. However, as she got closer she began to feel dizzy and fell to her knees, the sound from the TV ringing in her ear.  

Alle quickly backed up slightly, the nausea quickly fading away, as she realized that whatever the TV was doing could affect her as well. She then heard the boy whimper in pain again, causing her to pull her face back in anger. 

That wasn’t going to stop her though. 

She quickly scanned her head around the room, looking for anything she could throw before her eyes fell to a decent sized bit of wall that had broken off. The girl quickly ran over to it, grabbing the rock and getting as close as she could to the TV. 

There was a brief pause from her as she lined up her shot, thumb in front of her and arm drawn back. Then, she took a deep breath... 

And threw. 

The piece of wall went flying through the air, careening straight towards the TV with intent to smash it. Alle watched it in slow motion, waiting for the sound of glass shattering. 

But as she watched, she barely noticed something blink across the TV screen. 

Was that an... eye? 

Then, the screen exploded in a shower of glass that brought the room into silence. 

Alle took a deep breath as she stood and waited, only moving when she heard the boy whimper again. She quickly moved herself to kneel next to the boy, hands hovering around him uncertainly before they slowly touched his back. 

The boy gasped and raised his head to look at her with fear in his eyes, but when he noticed it was her, he quickly lost most of the fear in them.  

Alle then began to rub his back, trying to get him to calm down and stop the shaking of his frame. It took a few minutes for the boy to calm down, his limbs shaking with nervous energy that slowly dissipated and breathing that levelled out.  

The boy then swallowed heavily, his form no longer shaking and Alle removed her hand. She kept herself kneeling next to the boy, watching as he simply kept still on the ground. 

Then, she heard a noise. 

A faint noise coming from the boy. 

Alle felt her eyes widen slightly, he was talking. 

It was quiet, but she could make out what he was saying, the first words he had ever spoken to her.  

“Why?” He asked, voice hoarse and shaky, as if he hadn’t spoken for days. 

Which in reality, he hadn’t 

Alle felt confusion at the question, raising her eyebrows at him, ‘Why what?’ 

The boy noticed her confusion. “Why did you help me?” He clarified, eye looking up at her with pain and confusion. 

A realization passed through Alle at the question, but she knew there was also a part of the question that he didn’t want to say. 

Why had she helped, despite the way he had acted towards her? 

Alle thought on the question for but a moment. 

“Because...” She started, the first words she had ever spoken to him. 

“You needed help.” 

‘And because I don’t want to be alone anymore.’ Was the silent addon in her mind. 

The boy stared at her for a few seconds before he lowered his head, seemingly unable to meet her gaze. They sat in silence for what seemed an eternity, before Alle licked her lips nervously and opened her mouth again. 

“Hey...” She whispered, getting the boy to look up at her and making her smile. 

“What’s your name?” She asked, trying to get the boy out of his state of fear. 

He stared for a second before he pushed himself onto his knees, sighing and then turning to her with a nervous look in his eyes. 

“Mono.” He eventually answered, eyes darting around slightly. 

Alle then stood, a smile on her face as she offered her hand to the boy. 

“Hey Mono...” She greeted, watching as the boy stared at the hand. 

“I’m Alle.”  

Mono then raised his own hand, hesitating before he began to reach out. 

And clasped her hand.

Alle finished her story with a final sigh, watching as the girl across from her silently digested what she told her. 

Eventually, the girl raised an eyebrow, a question on her mind. 

“So... That’s how you two became friends?” She asked, curiosity with a tinge of amusement in her voice. 

Alle snorted slightly. “No, that’s how I met Mono.” She corrected, turning her head to look at the boy in question. “It took me a long time to get him to trust me, to call me his friend.”  

She then turned her head back to look at Six, eyes looking her over. “I never understood back then why it took so long, but now...”  She shook her head at the girl. 

“I might know why.” 

Six raised her face in amusement at her statement, seemingly enjoying what she said. 

“Trust me...” The Yellow Devil started, tracing a hand down the scar that sat over her left eye. “You don’t.” 

Alle felt like probing the girl for what that meant, wanting to waste the one thing she could ask about what happened in those two weeks on what happened between them. 

But.... her curiosity won out. 

“So, how did you meet him then?” She asked, leaning forward slightly. 

Six looked at her for a second, her eyes then briefly flickering over to those around the fire. 

“I won’t explain now...” She stated, Alle already opening her mouth to argue, stopped by Six raising her hand. 

“I don’t want them hearing.” She said, nodding her head to the others. “Especially when he’s around.” 

Alle pushed her lips, she could understand that but still... 

The girl then sighed at her. “Don’t worry, I will explain when we get back.” Her eyes trailed over to the Brothers. 

“I don’t leave others unpaid.” 

Alle raised an eyebrow at that, but didn’t say anything. 

Instead, she simply sat and kept watch alongside the girl, the two of them listening to the sounds of the fire crackling. 

And the storm outside that never ceased. 

Chapter Text

The storm outside raged for some time, a hurricane of rain and wind that created a dreadful sound like that of an animal screaming. Alle and Six had sat in relative silence as it did, neither talking as they simply sat next to each other. The story that Alle had told had seemed to put the girl into a thoughtful trance, as if her mind was talking to herself. 

If only she knew... 

Still, Alle found that the girl’s presence wasn’t.... bad all things considered. Rude to be sure, but the girl didn’t seem malicious nor untrustworthy, at least so far. It made Alle wonder, what exactly made Mono hate her? 

She flicked her gaze over to the girl again, seeing her simply sitting with arms laid on her knees, posture only slightly slouched. Her eyes traced over the numerous scars that littered the Yellow Devil’s hands and legs, many of which were small things, though a couple were much bigger.  

The one on the girl’s face however, THAT was more interesting. 

It clearly held some sort of significance, from the way she had traced it down, top to bottom. Whatever or whoever had caused it had clearly left an impression on Six and Alle knew it related to Mono in some capacity. 

She just didn’t know how. 

They sat in silence for what must have been another hour or so, before the sounds of the storm outside lessened, the constant battering of rain and wind against the building retreating.  

Alle looked at Six, the girl already looking at her and nodding her head up the ladder that they had entered through. Alle nodded back, the girl getting up and walking over to the ladder, beginning to climb it to see what was happening outside. 

The bodyguard then walked over to the rest of the group, the fire that had been burning before now just a pile of cinders that produced a bit of heat. She then walked over to Mono, finding the teen to be sleeping soundly, though his hands were clenched tightly. Alle then tapped his shoulder with her feet, causing the boy to stir and blink rapidly, eyes opening and locking onto her. 

Alle flicked a thumb to her right, mouthing that they might be able to move now, causing Mono to sit up and nod at her. The boy quickly stood, walking over to Stub to wake him, whilst Alle began to wake Netty. The Brothers awoke with blinking and slightly panicked eyes that quickly calmed once they saw who had woken them.  

They then heard the sound of footsteps behind them, revealing Six who nodded at them, conformation that the storm had lessened in intensity. They then went about packing their things away before they went back over to the ladder, Alle once again going first as she forced the cellar doors open. 

Cold air immediately battered them, though thankfully the rain had indeed stopped, the streets now filled with water that slowly sank away below. Alle pulled herself up, the rest following with Netty groaning at the cold weather. 

Mono then followed last, feet meeting the cold stone and looking up to the massive Tower that stood off in the distance.  

It seemed.... brighter almost, as if it was doing something. 

Mono shook his head, it wasn’t worth worrying about, especially regarding that damn thing. 

He turned his head back to the group, finding them to be waiting, Six staring at him beneath her hood with an unknown gaze. He stared back at the girl for a moment before gesturing for them to follow, Alle taking a spot next to him as he led them forward.  

They then marched forward again, Mono and Alle at the front whilst Six stayed at the rear, eyes scanning everything around them.  

The buildings around them were all different yet alike, massive things of brick and concrete that wobbled and leaned in ways that made the brain writhe in confusion. Everything looked decayed and run down, waterlogged and rotting from the inside, yet it never seemed to break so long as nothing disturbed it.  

It always seemed to be like this. 

Six let her gaze wander over them, memories surfacing that she would rather have kept down, memories of a journey once travelled with someone she had once trusted. 

Someone who was currently with her. 

She scrunched her face up and tossed the thoughts away, they weren’t needed, the past was past. 

Instead, she refocused on looking around as Mono led them down an alleyway that stunk of watery garbage. They passed a few trash cans along with a dumpster, the inside of it filling with water that was filled with a foul stench that made the Brothers gag slightly.  

Then, they all stopped as the trash can in front of them rattled and shook, tipping over and releasing what was contained inside. 

A pack of rats emerged, fur stained with dirt and filth, eyes a baleful yellow that hungrily stared at them. It wasn’t uncommon for rats to target children, especially if they felt they had an advantage in either numbers or size.  

In this case the rats had both, numbering a total of seven and of considerable size. 

Clearly, this hadn’t been the first time these ones had feasted on others. 

The pack of rodents slowly approached, teeth chittering in excitement, eyes never once leaving the group.  

Alle drew her sword, Mono raising his hands in preparation and even the Brothers prepared themselves, even if they weren’t the best at fighting. 

Six however, merely lifted an eyebrow, stepping forward as she raised a hand with shadow already dripping forth. The Brothers parted with concerned looks, the rats regarding her with what was apparently confusion at her behavior. 

Then, she launched her hand forward, shadows striking into the rats very being and grasping it. They gasped with squeaks of surprise, trying to make sense of something their little brains couldn't comprehend. Then, she pulled her hand back, things of a dark and shadowy complexion fading out of their bodies.  

A beat passed, the rats falling to the ground with no noise other than a muted thump and Six feeling their tiny souls enter her. Animals rarely had souls of incredible size or strength, compared to that of adults they were naught but cinders. Still, a soul was a soul and it helped stave off the lingering hunger in the back of her mind. 

Six turned her gaze to those around her, finding them to be a mix of concern or fear. She then noticed that Mono’s gaze was one of an inquiry, tilting his head towards the now empty rats.  

The Yellow Devil shook her head, for whatever reason only draining adults attracted others. She wasn’t sure why it functioned like that, but she wasn’t willing to figure it out.  

Instead she gestured for them to continue, Mono staring for a second before walking again, eyeing the corpses of the rats as they walked by them. 

Six felt like rolling her eyes, had he forgotten what the dead looked like or something? 

The group continued on, exiting the alleyway onto the streets again, turning left and following a road that was mostly pulled apart, vague signs of what must have been construction work still lingering. They walked under scaffolding, the wood and metal above them having somehow held sturdy despite the storms it must have weathered. 

They were getting closer now, Six knew they were. 

Silence engulfed them as they went onwards, the streets twisting and turning, buildings in the distance becoming ones that struck a familiar pang within two of the group. 

The group then turned into another street, this one very familiar to three of them for it contained something which stretched the entire city. 

A chasm. 

There were many holes and ravines throughout the city to be sure, but this was the one that ran through its entire length, an abyss that seemed to stretch on forever and possessed a fall that had no end. 

It was also something they needed to cross. 

Mono gestured to the other side indicating as such, Alle taking a moment to peer over the edge, seeing the thick mist that covered the chasm and making it impossible to see where it ended. 

Thankfully, the destruction of the city ran both ways and one of the numerous telephone poles that littered the city had fallen over, creating a makeshift bridge that had seen use by other kids. The pole had a rope attached from one side to the next, two lengths of wood on either end that held it, allowing those that crossed it a stable grip.  

Alle went first, feet finding perch on the wooden structure and gripping the rope, shaking it a few times to ensure it wouldn't move at all. The bodyguard then began to cross, slowly placing one foot after another and crossing the length of timber. A few seconds passed, the girl reaching the middle of the pole before something zoomed past her into the pit, startling her and those that waited. 

A Viewer, quickly disappearing into the fog. 

Six rolled her eyes, seems even after all this time those damn things were still throwing themselves off places. Though it did make her wonder how many were left now, surely very few given their suicidal tendencies. 

Regardless, the sudden appearance and disappearance of the adult spooked Alle slightly, though she shook it off quickly, the Brothers reacting more surprised and taking a step back from what they had just seen. Mono thankfully placed a hand on both of their shoulders, reassuring them that it wasn’t anything to worry about and instead gestured for them to walk across now that Alle was at the end. 

The Brothers began walking across, Stub first followed by Netty, the pair of them taking their time crossing the pole with iron grips on the rope. As they did, Mono and Six kept their eyes on the surroundings, watching for anything that might approach. The two of them watched back-to-back, a familiar sense of... something between them, old muscle memory and routines still ingrained in them. 

Six did her best to ignore the feeling, it wasn’t something that would aid her...

Instead, she focused as the Brothers were now close to the other side, Mono gesturing to her without looking to follow across. The bag-headed teen went first, a confident stride as he gripped the rope with his iron grip. Six followed afterwards, her light steps across the wood allowing an easy balance across the pole.  

The two of them walked across in silence, Mono taking a brief glance at the bottomless chasm beneath them that threatened to consume them. Years ago, he was afraid of this thing, now it was just something on the long list of things that could kill them at any moment. 

Speaking of things that could kill them.... 

Mono noticed a shadow, quickly getting smaller in front of him, making him dart his head up in concern. He was glad he did, as the form of a Viewer falling towards the pole was made clear as day.  

The boy quickly began to back up, the girl behind him releasing a sound of confusion yet complying with what he was doing, more than likely due to his urgency. 

Unfortunately, it wasn’t enough. 

The Viewer hit the pole with a sickening crunch, bones breaking upon impact and blood spewing forth from open wounds. Thankfully, the impact wasn’t enough to break the pole, however it didn’t stop the Viewer from slowly slipping off the pole and dragging the rope with it into the abyss. 

A rope that Mono was hanging onto. 

The boy quickly reacted to the rope being slowly broken off, but the sudden disappearance of it and the force from the Viewer both impacting the pole and dragging the rope made him wobble uncertainly. Mono attempted to correct himself, feet trying to find purchase on the smooth wood. However, trying to regain one’s balance with a bag obscuring your head was quite difficult and Mono knew that. 

He also knew when his foot missed the pole. 

Instantly, the teen felt his gravity shift, feet meeting nothing but air and slowly tilting into it. A brief moment flashed before his eyes, memories and emotions that made it difficult to breathe, even in that moment that lasted only a second.  

A moment that was cut off, by Six gripping his shoulders securely. 

Mono felt a brief sense of vertigo, as his descent was suddenly stopped by the grip, Six struggling slightly to keep his larger form from tipping over. But the girl succeeded, pulling him back enough that he could place his other foot back on.  

The boy took a moment to still his beating heart that hammered in his chest, taking a final deep breath before turning to Six.  

The girl regarded him with that same emotionless face she always wore, yet in her eyes that she hid behind her hood and hair, he could clearly see annoyance in her crimson pools more than likely from his near fall. Yet, there was something else there, something.... different. 

He didn’t know what to call it. 

So, he instead looked at Six’s hand that still lay on his shoulder, gesturing for her to remove it, which she did after conforming with a raised eyebrow that he wasn’t going to slip. Mono then turned his attention back to the other side, seeing the others waiting with bated breath, especially Alle, who looked stoic as always, but he knew that she was concerned greatly. 

Thankfully, they managed to make the rest of the way without incident, Alle checking him over slightly and Mono having to confirm he was fine. He then looked over the abyss, squinting at it as his mind remembered the adult that nearly crushed him. 

He gave the pit a hateful glare, he hated them, like many things in this city. 

Mono then turned his attention back to the group, nodding at them as he led the way once more. 

It was close now, the place they needed to go. 

A place he never wanted to see again.

Alle could tell Mono was nervous, worry set in his hidden eyes that he kept concealed, but Alle had known him too long to not see it. Yet, she could tell that it wasn’t because of the city or at least, not just the city.  

No, there was something else there, a lingering sense of dread in the teen’s gaze and the way he held himself. 

She knew it had to do with Six though, that much was certain. 

The way they had talked about where they were going signaled they had gone before and if Alle were to hazard a guess, it related to the teen in yellow in some way. 

She just didn’t know how it fit. 

Alle shook her head mentally, she needed to focus on what was important, which was keeping an eye out. 

Mono had indicated that they were getting close now, gesturing with a hand that the next couple of streets would lead them to their destination, his paranoid gaze getting worse as he did. Finally, they reached the last corner, the boy next to her flexing his hands in nervous anticipation as they turned the final corner. 

Only to be met with an entire building blocking the street. 

It was an apartment building of course, one of the smaller ones that littered the city in comparison to the others that tore into the sky. It was horribly decayed and collapsed, the brick and wood that held it together sticking out at random angles that made her wonder how it was even still one shape. The apartment was also not alone in its destruction, the entire apartment also leaning onto a neighbouring building that had taken its weight, the entire side destroyed from the impact. 

Alle heard Mono curse under his breath, more than likely the apartment was blocking the place they needed to get to and by the looks of it, there wouldn’t be an easy way around. She then heard the sound of someone walking up next to Mono, revealed to be Six who pointed at the destroyed building and then gestured in a way to indicate moving past it. 

The teen shook his head, pointing at the street the building blocked to indicate that it was the only way forward, or at least the way that wouldn’t take too much time. The Yellow Devil seemed to ponder the information, turning to look at the apartments that the collapsed one was leaning on.  

Six then gestured to the collapsed one, motioning to go inside it and then pointing to the other apartment block. 

Mono seemed taken aback by her suggestion and Alle could understand why. 

The girl was suggesting going through the collapsed building into the neighbouring one to get around. It was a quick way to get across of course, but the stability of both buildings was in question and Alle knew from experience that all they needed was a push to start breaking sometimes. 

But she could tell that Mono was considering the option, eyes looking over the building before turning his head to look behind them, more than likely thinking about going another way. Six then pointed to the apartments again, this time with an edge of anger to her gesture. 

Mono turned his full body to her, eyes glaring balefully down at her, Six returning the stare. 

Alle felt the air become slightly tense and she could see the Brothers very much concerned about what was happening, their faces creasing slightly with fear. The contest of hatred lasted only a few seconds before Mono released an angry huff and shook his head, giving a tired gesture that he agreed with the girl’s plan. 

A look of relief appeared on the Brothers faces, Alle herself feeling the tension in her muscles lessen slightly. 

She hoped this wouldn’t be reoccurring constantly. 

The bag-headed teen then gestured to follow, the rest of them doing so as they approached the collapsed building. Most of the building’s side that faced them was collapsed, bricks falling into weird patterns that did little to support the weight of the structure. There was, however, a single window that was just close enough to the ground to reach if two people were to boost one another. 

Which was what Mono planned, as he walked below the window, hands cusped together and kneeling to boost Alle up. The bodyguard moved forward, prepping herself to jump. 

Then, she noticed Six walking next to her, seemingly towards Mono as well. 

Alle stopped, turning to Six with a confused expression, the teen doing the same as if she suddenly realized what she was doing. There was a moment of silence as Six seemed to think about what she was doing, her hidden eyes briefly flickering over to Mono, who regarded her with a perplexed look in his eyes. 

Six then took a few steps back, saying nothing as she kept her blank face up. 

The bodyguard stared for a second before walking over to Mono. 

That was.... strange. 

Still, Alle proceeded with placing her foot in the boy’s hands before they nodded to each other and Mono threw as she jumped.  

Alle felt a brief sense of weightlessness, followed by her suddenly regaining gravity as she grabbed the edge of the window. She felt her arms protest slightly, but she ignored it and instead pulled herself up the windowsill with trained movements.  

The girl finally pulled herself up, seeing the room the window led into very much destroyed and on its side, furniture piled up. 

Satisfied that nothing was inside waiting, Alle turned and leaned down with her hand outstretched, gesturing to Six to be pulled up, knowing they would need two to pull Mono up. The boy in question looked briefly annoyed at her when she gestured but it quickly went away, he knew he was heavier after all.  

Six complied, stepping forward and unhooking her bag to throw it up to Alle who caught it before setting it down behind her. 

It weighed quite a bit. 

She then leaned down again, Six taking a moment to prepare before she sprung up a surprising distance and gripped Alle’s hand. Alle felt herself slide with the additional weight but managed to stop herself and instead planted her feet, hauling the girl up who aided by using her feet to push herself up. After a final pull, the girl was up, Alle letting go with a sudden exhale and looking down at Six who gave her a nod. 

The pair then positioned themselves over the ledge, Mono taking position and briefly giving the Yellow Devil a look before he jumped with both hands outstretched. They both caught him and even then, they both slid slightly before they began to pull him up. When Mono was finally pulled up, he stared at the two, Six in particular before he ultimately nodded and then signaling to Alle to find the way forward whilst they helped the Brothers up.  

Alle nodded, jumping down from the window and looking around the room for the clearest way forward, or in this case up. She turned her gaze to what would have been the ceiling, now facing up at angle rather than the straight vertical it should be. Thankfully, the leaning from the building wasn’t too great from the bottom, meaning they could walk up the walls for a bit before they became too steep. 

A hole was also present in the roof, its shape and size an indication that something had gone through it when the building collapsed and was now their way forward. 

The bodyguard then heard the sound of both Mono and Six grunting, the boy seeming to comment on something about Stub’s weight, which made Alle turn. 

Mono and Six had just finished pulling Stub up, the both of them panting slightly as Stub looked at them slightly offended, more than likely from the comment on his weight. Alle then released a ‘Psst’ from her mouth, causing them to focus on her, as she gestured to the hole in the roof.  

The others nodded, Alle already beginning to make her way up the angled wall, feet finding purchase in the crumbled brick. The climb upwards was easy for the first part of it, the group finding holes and small vents that allowed them to climb up without issue. 

However, the angle steadily became steeper and steeper, forcing them to start climbing up the surfaces, rather than merely walking. Eventually, they reached a point where going room to room was no longer viable and Alle suggested making use of the stairwell. 

The stairwell itself was not in the greatest of states, most of the steps broken beyond use and those that had survived were barely able to be used. As such, they had to be careful, the group taking their time to ascend the steps and making sure the risk was kept low. 

Never more than one person on a step, always keep an eye on the person behind you and always check where you step. 

They learned that last one a long time ago. 

The ascent upwards was slightly easier from there, even if the broken stairs and the slight angle they were at was an inconvenience. However, they eventually encountered a snag in the form of the entire rest of the staircase being broken.  

It caused them to pause for a while, before Six indicated to go into the last apartment they could get into. The group did so, Six leading them over to the window and jumping up to it, lifting it open. The girl seemed to check for something before signaling for them to follow, Six then disappearing from sight as she jumped, followed by the sound of metal shaking. 

Alle realized immediately what it was, the metal platforms and ladders that often littered the outside of the apartments. She had no idea what they were for, but she was thankful they provided another way up.  

The ascent continued, though not without difficulty given the metal of the platforms was wet and along with the slanted angle, made it troublesome to climb. Still, they did and within a few short minutes they found themselves near the top of the building. 

And across from them was the neighbouring one...

They were close enough now that they could see the way it had been smashed together with the one they stood on, the roof and walls sticking into the still standing block. It was almost close enough to touch, to jump across and land safely. 

Key word being almost. 

Six knew that trying that was suicide. 

So, they instead reentered the apartments, making their way into the room and seeing a window that was positioned right at the neighbouring one. It took some effort to open the window, the impact having dented it to the point that they gave up and instead resorted to simply removing all the glass that was left in the frame. 

Six had gone first, her natural agility and experience allowing her to leap across with ease. Alle went next, nearly able to match the girl in her agility though the landing wasn’t as light as hers. Mono then went, followed by Stub and Netty, the former using their longer legs to make the jump trivial.  

The group took a second to take in their surroundings, seeing the room they were in was heavily damaged, the walls collapsing and wallpaper slopping off. A hole was present in the wall opposite, Six walking over and going through it, much to the annoyance of Mono who followed her with narrowed eyes. 

Mono walked through the hole, seeing Six standing at an opening that let the entire outside in, the cold wind blowing through. He raised an eyebrow at her stance, wondering what he was staring at before walking over to her and realizing what she was starting at. 

A place they had come to enter and search, a place they had visited years ago, a place that burnt memories of horror into his mind. 

The Hospital. 

It stood like he remembered, a massive rectangle of grey concrete and metal, symbols and images plastering its outside that were faded with exposure to the elements of the harsh city. No light emerged from the numerous windows that littered the outside, a memory of the harsh darkness that had forced him to light it with a torch that barely worked. 

But it wasn’t the darkness nor the dank and foul interior that had terrified him then and still scared him now. 

It was what moved around inside that kept him up at night. 

Mannequins that moved with jerky movements and horrible sounds of plastic bending in protest, the fleshy torsos they had the only indication of what they once were. He remembered the horrible things attached to them, hooks and hands that bent the wrong way, legs that stood stiff straight or simply stilts that clacked against the floor. The worst was their faces, bandaged things that left the mind to conjure up what horror lay behind it, others having just teeth that sat lazily on a simple pole that chattered like a real mouth. 

Some didn’t even have heads. 

Mono remembered them well, the way they hounded him in the dark, chasing him despite lacking eyes, always knowing where he was. He remembered his heart pounding in his chest, a fear that spread into his very blood, that made him grip a hammer with sweaty pale hands and swing at- 

His eyes widened, a horrible thought going through his mind. 

He had forgotten about the hands. 

The fleshy boney hands that ran around like spiders, joints and muscles creating horrible sounds like that of mandibles of an insect, hungrily chopping into flesh. He remembered crushing them with hammers, hearing their bones break under the blows, hitting them again and again until he was sure they could no longer move. 

Even then, he kept swinging...

Mono remembered the one in the morgue, the one that grabbed his face, trying to tear flesh from bone, desperately trying to claw it off with panicked yells. 

He remembered a yell, the thing being pulled off, revealing the face of... 

Six. 

The teen turned to look at the girl in question that he currently stood besides, seeing her gaze at the Hospital with a look that was difficult to read. 

But he knew it wasn’t one of fondness nor appreciation. 

It seemed he wasn’t the only one that didn’t like this place. 

The girl in question seemed to notice his gaze, turning her head to look at him, face a blank canvass that made it unreadable. Yet despite that, he could tell in her eyes that she was asking him a question, one that he was loathed to answer, simply because it was her. 

Was he afraid? 

He let out an aggravated snort at the question.  

If he was, she wouldn’t know from him. 

Instead, he turned to the rest of the group behind him, seeing them stare at him with perplexed expressions, more than likely from the way the two had stared. Mono ignored them and instead pointed to the Hospital, indicating it was where they needed to go. The group nodded, Alle approaching him and nodding her head at the building, a question of what to expect. 

Mono looked around for a moment before he shook his head, he would tell them when they got inside. 

Alle raised an eyebrow but said nothing, instead gesturing again for how they would get in.  

The boy looked back at the Hospital, his concealed face shifting in thought as he pondered the question. They could go in the way they went before all that time ago, but he wasn’t sure they could, given the fact the last time they were there the entire elevator had fallen. The other entrance might be possible, but it would put them all the way at the end of the morgue, forcing them to trek the entire section. 

Mono then saw Six walk out into the edge of his view, looking at the building and then looking upwards through the opening to her left. Perplexed, the teen snapped his fingers once to get her attention, causing her to spin around and see his inquisitive gaze. 

Six regarded him for a second before she pointed at the building again, Mono looking where she was pointing. It seemed like she was just pointing at the building, causing him to look at her with annoyance, what was she getting at? 

The girl rolled her eyes with an exasperated expression, pointing again but this time with another motion to indicate above. Mono felt his eyes widening in understanding, turning to look at the building again. 

She wanted to go in through the roof. 

It wasn’t impossible, from the looks of it there was an entrance on the roof in the form of a doorway that was more than likely used for emergencies.  It would lead them straight in and would possibly avoid any of the things that might lurk within the halls. 

The only problem was getting onto it. 

From the look of it, there weren’t any viable pipes to climb up the side of the Hospital, nor did it seem to have any ladders or platforms to scale. He turned to look at the girl with an amused expression, gesturing to the building. 

How did she expect them to get up? 

Six pulled her face into a similar one of amusement, something that made Mono slightly concerned as she spun and pointed to the ladder that the metal platform possessed. Mono turned to look at those behind him, seeing they also had confused expressions, what was she planning? 

The girl said nothing, instead gesturing for them to step back, something which they complied with as the girl remained where she was. A beat passed before Six slowly raised her arms, the liquid-like shadow that he had only seen a few times now, emerging from beneath her raincoat. It swarmed around her like mist, snaking its way around her arms as she seemed to focus. 

A moment passed as the girl did nothing, simply letting the shadow surround her, much to the concern of those who looked on.  

Then, her arms shot forward, tendrils of shadow emerging from her that surged forward... 

And gripped the ladder. 

Instantly, Mono realized what she was about to do, backing up slightly more as he watched the girl begin to move herself. Her arms shifted to the right, the tendrils following the action as they gripped the steel. Slowly, the sound of metal shifting and groaning was heard, the ladder slowly moving as it was dragged from its position.  

Six seemed to struggle for a second, the ladder seeming stubborn in remaining where it was. But Six wasn’t having any of that it seemed, as she dragged her foot across the wooden floor and moved her body like she was shifting something heavy. 

The ladder groaned again, this time much louder and accompanied by the sound of metal breaking and bending as it was forced out of position. A moment later the platform collapsed slightly, the steel shifting in weight that made the wall it was attached to rumble slightly. Another moment passed and Six seemed to take a breath before she made a final pull that released a painful sound of metal screeching, as the ladder was finally wretched from its place. 

Everyone watched as the ladder swung for but a second before gravity reclaimed it and sent one end of it hurdling towards the Hospital. A moment later the sound of metal hitting concrete was heard, a puff of dust shooting upwards as it settled. 

They all watched for a few seconds, the metal groaning slowly fading as they witnessed what Six had done. 

The girl in question then fell to her knees, taking deep breaths that were shallow. 

Both Stub and Netty instantly ran to her side, kneeling beside her as they checked her over. Mono felt like rolling his eyes, since when did she deserve any concern? 

But still, she did appear to have strained herself, so he walked up in front of her and peered down at her with a tilted head. 

The girl didn’t seem to notice his presence at first, too focused on regaining the breath she seemed to have lost. She did notice eventually however, eyes peering up at him narrowed with a suspicious glare. Mono felt like glaring back but decided it wasn’t worth it and instead gestured to see if she was fit to continue. 

Six seemed to lessen her glare slightly, taking a few more breaths before she pushed herself to her feet. The two then held a stare for a moment before Alle whispered at them to get moving, causing them to break their glares and move over to the platform outside. 

The metal had certainly been bent out of shape by Six, twisted irregularly in such a way that it looked unreal. The ladder they were going to use to cross was balanced precariously on the railings, looking like it might slip at any moment. But still, it held where it was and simply standing looking at it wasn’t going to get them anywhere. 

Alle went first, jumping to grab the railing and hauling herself up, looking at the ladder for a second before placing a foot onto the ladder. The bodyguard kept her foot on it for a second, giving it a shake to see if it would suddenly move. Thankfully, it didn’t, though the ladder did sag inwards slightly at the middle. 

Mono frowned slightly, that wasn’t comforting. 

Still, Alle placed another foot on, slowly walking across like they had on the pole across the chasm. The ladder jumped every time she took a step, Mono watching with great concern, his mind filled with terrible images of the ladder slipping and witnessing her fall to the ground below. 

He shook his head, that wouldn’t happen. 

The bodyguard continued on, managing to reach the other side without anything else happening and jumping onto the roof of the Hospital, the first of them to reach the dreaded place. The Brothers then proceeded, one after the other, to ensure that the additional weight wouldn’t bring the whole thing down.  

Mono watched as they reached the other side, eyes trailing to the ground below and the water clogged streets. 

It was a long way down. 

He then looked behind him, seeing Six standing there without any expression or movement, simply waiting for him to go. Mono narrowed his eyes at her, a silent threat to her should she try anything as he crossed. 

The girl merely scoffed. 

Mono snarled slightly, turning back and beginning to cross the ladder. It shook with every step he took, metal releasing sounds that made his anxiety spike up in anticipation of something happening. He got to the half-way point, taking a breath and taking a look behind him, seeing Six still standing there, still waiting. 

He resumed walking. 

The ladder shook more as he reached the other side, yet it did not fall and managed to reach it with a final leap that brought a sense of relief to his heart. He then turned to look back at Six and despite the distance, he could tell there was sense of amusement in her face. 

It made him scowl slightly under his bag. 

The Yellow Devil then made her way across the ladder, the metal steps hardly shaking from her light steps as she strode across, arms outstretched. Six crossed the halfway point, Mono watching with slight envy in his eyes. 

But then, the ladder slipped forward uncertainly, causing the girl to stop.  

She didn’t look back, nor did she need to in order to understand what was happening. 

Mono however, knew what was happening.  

The group's journey across the ladder had slowly dislodged it, little by little it had been sliding forward across the wet metal inching it forward off the railing. Even with Six’s graceful steps, it was still enough for it to be pushed enough where it now currently stood, barely holding on. 

Six knew this, her eyes were hardened in focus. 

Then, she ran. 

Despite the narrowness of the ladder, she sprinted across it with surprising balance, the girl never wobbling as the ladder shook with her heavier steps. 

But those heavier steps finally made it fall. 

Time seemed to slow for a second as the girl nearly reached the end, the ladder being claimed by gravity on one end, slowly falling into the street. Six realized she wouldn’t make it running, so she took one final step and jumped. 

And Mono reacted...

He didn’t know what it was that made him do so, maybe it was his old habit of trying to catch others, maybe it was the instinctual part of him that simply reacted to her outstretched hand. 

Maybe it was something farther back in time. 

Regardless, he reacted, hand surging out and clasping hers. 

Six fell, hitting the side of the building with a thud, a groan emerging from the impact. Mono held her in his grasp, watching as the ladder fell into the street below, the sound of metal hitting paved stone heard, along with the sound of glass shattering. 

Probably a TV breaking. 

He switched his gaze back to the girl in his hands, watching as she looked up at him silently, gaze questioning what he was thinking.  

But she realized quickly what he was thinking. 

It was a familiar scenario, one holding the other over an abyss, their life held in their hands and deciding what to do. 

Mono knew it well, for it haunted his nightmares for weeks afterwards.  

The image of his supposed friend, holding him over the bridge with a fury of disgust and anger plastered across, face drawn back into a snarl. He remembered a feeling of confusion and fear running through him, the urge to ask her what was wrong building up in his throat. Then, he remembered her weight shifting, as if to pull him up. 

Instead, she pulled away... 

And let him fall. 

Mono remembered the fall, remembered the feeling of weightlessness that grasped his heart and mind for but a second, followed by the sudden sensation of gravity and dread that gripped his body. He remembered flailing his limbs in panic, mind searching for anything to help him, anything to save him. 

He remembered energy gathering in his hands, the ledge in sight and- 

Mono took a deep breath, eyes locking back onto her. 

She knew what he was thinking, gaze narrowed at him.  

Six knew he was considering it, dropping her in revenge for what happened, the roles reversed. Mono felt the eyes of those behind him dig into his back, wondering why he hadn’t pulled her up yet. It was so tempting, to drop her, to see her face fill with fear the same why his had. 

He readjusted his grip, fingers loosening around hers. 

Six didn’t react, eyes still narrowed. 

Mono felt anger course through him, why didn’t she do anything? 

He loosened again. 

Nothing. 

His form shook with anger, hands now tightening around hers as he yelled... 

And pulled her up. 

The girl was sent sprawling onto the roof, those behind the bag-headed teen backing up from the sudden appearance of the girl. Mono watched as she stood herself up, dusting her coat off and turning to face him with a passive look on her face. 

He approached her, the two of them staring at each other, another contest of hate. They started for a few seconds, a silent groan emerging from Alle at the sight. 

Then, Six sighed and turned away from him, clearly fed up with their game. 

But as she did, she spoke something under her breath, words that only he could hear, for they were meant for only him.  

“Thank... You.” 

Mono heard the words enter his ears, brain trying to understand what he had just heard.  

Since when did she-? 

But his question would remain unanswered, as the Yellow Devil walked over to the door on the roof, leaving him to ponder on his own. The boy shook his head in annoyance, gaze switching over to the rest of the group, finding the Brothers giving him an odd stare before walking over to Six. 

Alle meanwhile, give him a hard look, clearly not happy with him.  

Mono sighed, bowing his head, she had to understand this wasn’t something he could just... 

The bodyguard approached, placing a hand on his shoulder and giving him a look, she did understand but that didn’t mean this was the time or the place. 

He sagged again, seems as though he would have to relent. 

For now, at least. 

So, Alle walked off, approaching the others as they attempted to open the door, Mono trailing behind her. 

Time to enter this horrible place.

The Wind was growing bored. 

When was this boring talk going to conclude? 

Their siblings were still in discussion, the talking over their plan to reconstruct what had been lost with their little puppets, their avatars, was still ongoing. It still irked the Wind as to why they were here, they didn’t need their input for much, rarely engaging. 

All they needed was their power. 

So, they merely watched the Eye and the Maw discuss, wind shifting slowly like a breeze, a reflection of their infinite mind. 

But then, something interesting happened that broke the stale space. 

The eyes that made up their sibling's form, suddenly switched from all different points... 

To only one. 

The Wind knew their sibling well, despite their relation, they knew their gaze could be focused on a thousand places at once, observing everything and nothing at the same time, interest always on multiples, never singular. 

So, for something to have their full attention? 

That was rare, like that of a planet that harbored life. 

“What is it? ” The Maw asked, voice indulgent yet curious. “Has the plan grown boring to you?” 

The Eyes did not respond, another rarity for the occasion. 

Then they did. “Response: A disturbance in my city.” They answered, voice sounding... intrigued. 

The Wind felt their currents speed up. “So? Why does that grab your attention? ” 

A few eyes of their siblings looked back at them. “Inquisitive: My knowledge of the city is absolute, I know everything that occurs...” Their eyes switched back to the point. 

“This is not an occurrence of repeatability, this is new.” 

The winds that made up their form released a sound that entailed amusement. “ Everything is new now, why does that concern you? ” 

A feeling of what might be likened to annoyance spread from their sibling. “Answer: Not new in events, new in individuals that repeat.” They answered. 

The Maw spoke up, the question on their minds. “You believe it is... them?” 

Eyes looked back at the Maw. “Undecided: No evidence to support, no evidence to decline, observation must be continued.”  

The Eyes then focused again. “Statement: We are finished regardless, retreat back, follow the plans.” 

A surge of annoyance ran through the Maw, but they did nothing and instead merely let their from dissipate from existence, back to their little shelter of iron and salt. 

The Wind however, stayed for a second for they knew the truth. “It is THEM, isn’t it?” 

An eye looked back at them. “Surprised response: What fact supports that?” 

The Wind released laughter of the gales. “You never focus on anything, not like this, this...” They changed their currents again.  

“This is special.” 

A beat passed the Eyes doing nothing for but a split second of their infinite existence. “Inquiry: What do you want?” 

Another laugh emerged. “Nothing, we simply find your deception of our own... amusing.” 

The Eyes regarded them. “Statement: Begone.” 

A flicker of power surged from the Eyes and the Wind felt themselves being dragged back to the realm of the physical, as the connection was cut from their sibling. They found themselves once more in the land of ice and snow, the tundra they stalked for years. 

Annoyance ran through them, yet the amusement was still there. 

This was getting interesting...

Still, they looked down at their sibling’s little servant, finding it to be looking up at them with its faceless gaze.  

The Wind let the air around them flow and within a second, the Viewer felt itself pulled around, currents pulling it in every direction at once. 

They wouldn’t let their little action go unpunished, even if it was such a petty thing to do. 

The TV would remain, it was needed after all. 

Their servant however? 

That wasn’t needed...

The door swung open, darkness receding as what little light was let in from the darkened sky. 

Six walked in, the rest of them following behind as Netty rubbed his shoulder in pain. They had to barge open the door with brute force, all of them throwing their shoulders into the door and slowly forcing it open. It seemed as though it hadn’t been opened in a long time. 

Given the current state of the place, that was probably correct. 

Even this small part of the large building was decayed and old, dust gathering everywhere, cobwebs littering the corners and the railings on the stairs having rusted and fallen apart in some places. The air smelled just as dank as the rest of the place, the ripe smell of death emerging from the depths of the place. 

She took a deep breath of it. 

It was a long time ago since she was here. 

Six turned her gaze to Mono, his face slightly illuminated by the light of Alle’s flashlight. The teen looked at her and Six gestured to the stairwell behind her, a rhetorical question in her eyes that she knew he didn’t want to answer. 

‘Shall we?’ 

The boy seemed to hesitate but stepped forward regardless. 

Time to dive back in. 

Chapter Text

The descent downwards began, steps of concrete making their footsteps echo in the seemingly long stairwell. Each step was broken in some way, chipped or missing chunks, scum and dirt covering each one, void of any sense of cleanliness. 

Just how Six remembered it. 

A silence that choked the air surrounded them, not a single sound emerging from the depths below them, not even that of lights buzzing or water running in the walls. Long ago when they were first here, Six could have sworn there was something that played in the back of her mind, invading her ears with a silent tune. 

That of singing, a low sound of adults producing an almost heavenly sound that if in any other circumstance, would have been pleasant. Back then however, it was not and instead it was a horrifying back track to the atrocities that littered the place. 

It seemed however, that even that was gone...

Six didn’t mind the silence usually, it allowed her to think, to breath and consider what she needed to do. This however, wasn’t the type of silence she wanted, it was artificial and even in the barrenness of the wilderness there was wind. 

There was nothing here and that wasn’t right. 

So, Six kept her lighter on hand, thumb flickering over the wheel. 

They descended down another flight of steps before they finally came to a door, metallic grey and slightly rusted. It was the first one they encountered and as such, a decision of whether to explore or not. 

Mono looked back at her, gaze of silent hate, yet they also contained a quandary, a question on his mind for her and that was whether to go in. 

Six pushed her lips in thought, although they had visited the Hospital a long time ago and explored quite a bit of it, they hadn’t seen it all. As such, what laid beyond in the room before them was unknown, neither of them knowing what it could contain. They certainly had experience with it however and would be prepared for the abominations that walked in the hall and feared the light. 

That thought made Six realize something, causing her to turn to Mono with a slight look of urgency. The teen looked at her with a raised eyebrow, Six nodding her head towards the flashlight Alle held, a reminder to him of what lurked inside. 

Understanding dawned in the boy’s eyes and caused him to look at the group, gesturing for them to stop and listen. They nodded, the Brothers walking over to the steps behind them and sitting down, groans releasing from their mouths, whilst Alle leaned on the railing.  

Mono then stepped forward, Six slightly lagging behind him, arms crossed and silent. The bag-headed teen then took a breath and gestured behind him. 

“Before we go any further, I need to tell you what we’ll encounter in here.” He started, voice quiet yet containing a nervous edge. 

Alle raised an eyebrow at that. “And how do you know what we’ll encounter in here?” she questioned, voice not accusatory but still suspicious. 

Mono seemed reluctant to answer, eyes flickering away from his friend and into the infinite darkness. 

Six however, wasn’t as reluctant and had grown bored with his constant avoidance of explaining. Many already knew they had history and whilst they didn’t need to explain it all, this was different. 

“Because we both came through here before.” Six answered, causing Mono to look at her with bewilderment and a look of betrayal, whilst the others widened their eyes to comical size, Alle included.  

“You’ve traveled with the Boss?” Netty asked, a slight amount of awe in his voice. 

Mono stared at Six for another second before sighing and looking at the youngest.  

“Yes...” He sighed out, looking at Alle whose eyes narrowed. “A long time ago, me and Six went through here.” He then looked back at the door. “And it wasn’t pleasant.” 

The boy heard a snort from the girl behind him. “That’s an understatement...” She whispered. 

Mono resisted the urge to glare at her and instead refocused on informing the others. 

“As I was saying..." He started, getting their attention. “There’s a good chance we’ll encounter some... unpleasant adults whilst we’re here, as such we’ll need to stick together.” 

“Unpleasant?” Stub asked, voice sounding confused yet concerned. 

The teen nodded. “They’re stitched together abominations...” He explained, eyes briefly flickering to Six behind him. “And there’s a lot of them.” 

Both Brothers widened their eyes at that, whilst Alle gained a more focused expression. Mono noticed their concern, holding his hands up in a pacifying gesture.  

“We do have an advantage though.” He stated, pointing a thumb behind him. “For whatever reason, they can’t move in the light, so as long as we keep them in view...” He gestured to the flashlight. 

“We should be fine.” 

Alle raised the flashlight in her hand, looking it over with a thoughtful expression. “And if we’re not?” She asked with concern. 

Mono shook his head. “Then we’ll just have to run.” 

The Yellow Devil grimaced at that, it had been a long time since she had to ‘run’ from something, it made her feel... weak. 

A beat passed as they digested the information, none of them seeming particularly enthusiastic to go inside. Then, Stub sighed and stood to his feet, a rescind yet confident look on his face. 

“If it’s means saving Renny, then we’ll deal with it.” He declared, Netty standing alongside him and nodding at his words. 

Mono nodded back, gesturing for them to follow and turning to the door, staring up at it before motioning to Alle for her to be boosted. The bodyguard complied, walking over to Mono and placing a foot in his hands and being launched up to the push bar on the door. 

Alle grabbed the push bar, hearing it groan in protest as it was pulled downwards. Unfortunately, it didn’t go down all the way, leaving Alle hanging there as the door refused to budge. Mono groaned at the sight, clearly the bar needed more weight to move.

The boy then heard a hiss behind him, turning to find Six gesturing for him to kneel down so he could toss her.  

Mono narrowed his eyes at her, did she think they needed her help for this? This was something they could solve easily. Mono looked up at Alle, taking a breath before leaping and grabbing his friend’s legs, his weight added onto her own. There was a creak as the door was undone, Mono letting go and allowing Alle to land as well. 

He then turned to find Six rolling her eyes, causing him to grin under his mask with amusement. 

Mono then turned to the door, placing his hands on it and pushing to open it. 

Except, it didn’t 

Confused, the boy pushed again, the door only opening a tiny bit that would allow someone to stick their arm through. Alle then came and pushed as well but the door still wouldn’t budge, the sound of something blocking the door very much audible. 

Mono then stopped, seeing the small gap and peering through it, revealing the barest hint of what appeared to be a stack of chairs and tables pressed against the door. The sight caused the boy to frown, even if they all pushed it wouldn’t be enough to open it. 

Seems as though they’d have to use the next door below instead. 

Sighing, the boy turned to find Six with her own amused grin, a small one but it still annoyed him and made him walk past her with a growl.  

The group descended down a few stairs before they arrived at the next door, the same scenario playing out as before, only this time the door did open. It parted with a hollow sounding creak, Mono and Alle pushing it open, revealing a poorly lit hallway with tilled walls.  

Alle quicky flipped on the flashlight, illuminating the hallway, revealing windows of quite large size that reflected the light, along with many doors alongside each one. The bodyguard walked forward slowly, shining the flashlight up and down the walls as she did, briefly illuminating the doors and the numbers alongside them. 

As she did, Mono barely glanced another sign plastered on their way in, one that he had never seen before. 

MATERNITY WARD- PLEASE BE QUIET  

He raised an eyebrow at it, what could that possibly mean? 

The boy looked at the glass on the wall, releasing a quiet sound to get Alle’s attention and pointing to the glass to shine through it. Alle nodded, shining the light through as he pulled himself up to the ledge of the window and peered through the glass. 

Mono squinted his eyes, despite the light he still couldn’t make out much but what he could see confused him. Rows upon rows of tiny beds, each containing a small blanket and pillow that were clearly not sized for adults. Indeed, the size of them would suggest they were made for kids, but that didn’t make any sense to him, adults didn’t care about kids. 

He let go of the ledge, turning to the window behind him and gesturing to Alle to do the same thing, revealing the room to be the same as the other. Mono once more let go of the ledge and pushed his lips, what exactly was this place? 

The boy shook his head, it didn’t matter and by the looks of it, they didn’t have what they needed. 

He then gestured for Alle to continue forward, the bodyguard nodding and shining the torch forward, once more illuminating the hallway. They continued on, more windows and doors revealing more of the same types of room, filled with the same type of beds that still confused the boy. 

Finally, they reached the end of the hallway with two ways that split off, each one with a sign that indicated what it led to. 

ELEVATOR ≥  

TOILETS ≥  

≤ STAIRS  

≤ RECEPTION

Mono paused at the signs, wondering which way to go before he felt a finger tap his shoulder. He turned, finding Six with a slightly annoyed expression nodding her head to the right. Mono felt his face shape into a snarl but resisted the urge to shoot her suggestion down. In reality, checking the elevator first was the best choice, as many of them displayed what the floors were used for and if they did, it would help find what they needed. 

So, Mono reluctantly nodded and gestured to Alle to move down the right hallway.  

The group moved forward, slowly moving themselves along the poorly lit hallway, the lights above them long since broken. Finally, they reached a familiar end, that of a pair of metal doors and a button next to them to call the contraption that could take them where they needed to go.  

Alle shined the light up the side of the wall, revealing a series of signs that detailed which floor was for. Most of them were obvious things or ones that didn’t make sense to them, such as their current floor which was the third floor. However, the first floor was the one that caught Mono’s eye, as plastered across it were the words.  

STAFF ONLY  

Now, Mono didn’t know for sure, but more often than not places that had words like staff or private often had important things inside of them.  

Which meant that the first floor was their current target. 

Mono pointed to the sign and the first floor, indicating where they should go. The rest of them nodded, though Six did nothing but stare at him for a few seconds before turning to look away. Alle then flashed her light down from the sign, revealing that the elevator was unpowered, two slots empty for fuses. 

Not like it mattered to them, the sign from earlier indicated there were stairs that would lead downward, separate from the ones they had come down. With that, they marched backwards through the dark, passing the hall and the sign again. 

They then came to a big set of wooden doors in the hallway, matching those that he had seen before in the building. Mono placed his hands on it, Alle doing the same as they both pushed, the door creaking in the process before it finally snapped on with a thud against the walls. 

Mono however, seemed to forget what happened last time he was here, as he suddenly fell to the ground from the sudden disappearance of the door. He grumbled on the floor for a second before righting himself and the bag on his head, turning to see Alle with a smile on her face along with Six who had a small grin. 

The boy shook his head with annoyance before looking forward again, the light illuminating the new room.  

It was a small one compared to the others he had seen, a massive front desk to their right that he couldn’t see over and quite a few chairs sat against the wall. Numerous plant pots were dotted around, though the plants they had contained had long since wilted and died, leaving only dry soil. 

The group took stock of their surroundings before moving forward again, the flashlight illuminating the room as they did. Alle shined it around them, seeking the door they needed before she finally found it, with a design similar to the previous. 

Mono and Alle moved forward to push the door open, Six deciding to look behind her as they did. As she did, her eyes wandered to the desk and despite the darkness, she could see something laying on it. Six narrowed her eyes slightly, straining to see what it was that was on the desk, her vision eventually adjusting to the darkness. 

And when she did, she immediately shifted back into a defensive stance, hands slowly filling with a small amount of shadow.  

There was an adult slumped on the desk. 

Her actions caused the Brothers to suddenly become alerted, Netty releasing a small sound that made Mono and Alle also turn. They quickly came to her side, both questioning what she was doing, causing Six to gesture to the desk. 

Alle slowly raised the flashlight up to the desk, the discoloured wood slowly being revealed before it finally illuminated a single massive hand. The flashlight was drawn down as Alle drew her sword, Mono taking a defensive posture like Six, ready for the adult to move. 

A beat passed. 

Nothing happened. 

They continued to hold. 

Nothing happened. 

Another second passed and Alle felt her eyebrow raise slightly, her curiosity making her slowly raise the flashlight back up to the hand. It remained there for a second, before it slowly followed the hand up, revealing more of the flesh belonging to the adult that was pale as moonlight. She stopped for a second more before moving the light up further and further, till finally the top of the adult’s head was revealed, slumped against the desk. 

Mono took a quick breath, steadying himself for the adult to move. 

But it didn’t...

The adult simply remained where it was, completely still and unresponsive to them. They stared at it for a few seconds wondering what was wrong, till Six waltzed right past them and approached the adult. Mono felt his eyes widen before he hissed at the yellow-clad teen, just what did she think she was doing? 

Six turned with a deadpan look as she walked, reaching the desk with the adult before jumping and slapping the hand that lay there. A beat passed as the sound reached their ears, the Brothers taking a sharp intake from the action behind them, waiting for the adult to move. 

It didn’t 

Confusion from the lack of reaction quickly turned to realization as to why Six was being so bold. 

It was already dead. 

Alle raised the flashlight a bit, seeing that the adult was indeed not moving in any capacity, including breathing. The bodyguard slowly lowered her sword before sheathing it, approaching the adult cautiously and standing a few steps behind Six. The girl turned her head slightly before motioning to Alle to crouch down for her to be boosted. 

The bodyguard raised an eyebrow but chose to shrug instead of question, tossing the flashlight to the boy behind her who caught it with one hand. Alle then moved herself to the desk before lowering her hands and allowing Six to step in them before tossing her. 

Six went upwards and grabbed the ledge of the desk, body quite close to the collapsed adult but it still did not stir. The Yellow Devil then pulled herself up, turning her body to the adult and giving it a firm kick to the side of the head that ensured that it was indeed dead as she expected. 

A benefit of gaining her powers she had discovered was that she knew if something was alive or dead, the energy of the soul was nearly impossible to mask and was a dead giveaway if something still lived. It had been extremely useful over the years, particularly to those who thought playing dead was a good way to catch her off guard. 

It wasn’t...

Still, whilst the dead adult was good short term, it wasn’t good long term and Mono knew that as well. The reason why was obvious, as the adult had only recently died, for if it had been dead a long time it would be nothing but mummified flesh and rotting bones. Instead, flesh was still present and the smell of decay wasn’t as pungent, indicating it had only been dead the past week or so. 

The adult was female by the looks of it, face saggy and wrinkled, eyes glazed over and wearing a white dress with red markings. Clearly it hadn’t died by starvation, the signs of that not present, nor did it have any wounds present on it. 

It made Six wonder what had killed it. 

Still, it wasn’t something they could solve by staring at it, so the girl jumped down from the desk and walked over to the group, eyes locking onto Mono as she nodded her head towards the body. 

The boy nodded back at her, despite the hate between them, he understood the concern over the body as it wasn’t natural. For now however, they would have to ignore it, as they had better things to focus on. 

Mono then turned to the doors again, deciding to take the lead for once, given how he had some knowledge of this place. He gestured to the doors again, this time Alle and Stub stepping forward, hands pressed against the wood. 

A few seconds passed as they pushed the doors open, swinging once more out with force and creating a large bang as they hit the wall, though unlike him Stub didn’t fall. 

That.... annoyed him slightly. 

Regardless, they moved through doorway, coming upon a small landing that gave way to a large set of stairs that spiraled downwards, along with another set that went upwards. Their construction seemed more in line with the rest of the Hospital, though they were still dirty and worn down with time, just like everything in the building. 

Mono flashed the light down the stairs, seeing nothing but steps and gesturing for them to descend. The group did so, walking down the steps at a reasonable pace for a few minutes, their steps echoing down the stairwell. 

Unfortunately, nothing was ever simple and they eventually hit a snag. 

That of a massive hole, where the rest of the staircase should have been. 

Now, Mono could remember the last time they were here and the massive hole that had beds suspended over it by ropes, an obstacle he had to cross. However, he highly doubted that this was part of the same hole, which made him question just how stable this place was. 

Regardless of that however, they now had a problem. 

It seemed now the only way to get to the first floor was to get the elevator working, the group having already tested the other staircase they came in from, finding that the steps cut off just the same. That now meant they would have to search the place for fuses and by the looks of it, none were present on the third floor. 

Thankfully, they still had another floor to explore above them. 

Hopefully...

The teen indicated as much, briefly discussing it with them, though they seemed reluctant to agree they still did, though Six gave no indication on how she felt about it.  

Mono then led them up the fancier staircase, finding it to be quite a trek to reach the next floor. They reached it eventually, coming up to the landing where the steps ended, indicating it was the final floor. 

Though both he and Six knew it went down quite far. 

The first thing Six noticed when they reached the top however, was the door... 

Or the lack of one to be more precise. 

The doorway currently housed only one door, the other only found in pieces at the base of it and appearing like it was broken with great force. Six moved ahead of them, eyeing a piece of the broken door and seeing scratch marks that looked like they were inflicted with great force rather than with a sharp instrument. 

Six’s eyes then trailed upwards and with the small light provided by the torch, she could make out what the sign above the door said. 

INTENSIVE CARE UNIT- AUTHORISED PERSONAL ONLY  

The teen stared at the sign for a second, intensive care...? 

Her eyes travelled to the broken piece of wood. 

The door could certainly use it. 

Her small joke was then interrupted by Mono walking past her and over the broken door, giving her a small glare as he did and urging her to keep up. 

Six narrowed her eyes at the boy, this was becoming irritating. 

Still, she followed him into the room, finding another desk like the one from before, though it lacked the dead adult. The desk did, however, have more of the marks from earlier, scratched into the wood with surprising vigor and looking around, they seemed to cover the walls as well. 

What exactly happened here? 

Her musings were interrupted by Mono moving again, the light moving with him and forcing Six to follow. They walked around the desk, finding another door that needed to be opened. However, before they could Six released a small ‘psst’ that made the group turn. 

They found Six pointing at the wall, more specifically at the switch that hung from it that more than likely controlled the lights. Alle stared at the girl for a second before shrugging her shoulders, couldn’t hurt to try. 

Alle walked over to the girl, Mono flashing the light onto the two of them, eyes suspiciously looking at Six as she cupped her hands for Alle. The bodyguard placed her feet Six’s hands before she nodded and the girl tossed her up. 

A second later, Alle grabbed the switch, the metal refusing to budge for a second before it finally gave in and was pulled downwards.  

The sound of wires filling with electricity was heard, electronics and breakers struggling to work. Eventually, the lights above them flickered for a few moments before they finally stayed on, their light illuminating the room they were in and the hallway beyond the door. 

It still didn’t light that much however. 

Mono watched as Alle let go and landed with a muted sound as he clicked the flashlight off, turning to the door and gesturing to Stub to help him open it. The large brother nodded, walking over and placing his hands on the door and pushing. A moment later the door swung open, this time Mono didn’t land on his face and instead looked up to the hallway. 

Except he instead looked right into a massive hand. 

The teen immediately jumped back in surprise, hands already folding at his side, ready to fight or run. To his surprise however, the hand didn’t move and his gaze followed it up... 

Only to realize it wasn’t connected to anything and was simply a prosthetic arm. 

Mono felt the tension leave his body as he sighed, followed by annoyance as he heard a small chuckle behind him, revealed to be that of Alle who tried to hide the laugh behind her hands. His eyes also caught Six with another grin, rolling her eyes as he looked at her. 

The boy felt like scoffing at her, did she forget how he felt about these things? 

He then turned his gaze back to the hallway that now stretched out before them, realizing that it wasn’t just one part of an adult. 

There were dozens of them. 

Parts of the patients were thrown about in a messy fashion, arms and legs crumpled into odd shapes, hands and fingers broken in unnerving ways. The walls and floor were decorated with cloth and dried blood, scratches and gouges lining them as well. 

The group stared at the hallway, through their mind asking the same question... 

Just what had happened here? 

Six stepped forward first, walking over to a damaged hand and looking it over, finding it to be broke in half, the plastic jagged and the fingers missing. Whatever had happened, had happened with a lot of force. The prosthetics were designed to bend and resist impacts, so to break them required both a ton of force and intent to do so. 

Which made it all the more concerning. 

Mono then came to her side, eyes trailing over the parts before looking at her. Despite the hate in his eyes, she could tell he was wondering and worrying the same as her, the scene before them was one they did not wish to join. 

As such, the bag-headed teen turned to Alle, motioning for her to be on guard, the bodyguard nodding and drawing her sword in preparation. She then stepped forward, Six deciding to go in front for a change, forcing Mono to sit behind and watch the Brothers. 

The group pressed onwards, the hall of plastic carnage eventually stopping, revealing instead rooms that connected to the hallway. Each one was quite small, yet contained a bed and numerous equipment and tools that the group had no knowledge of. Each room was contained behind a glass door and window, seemingly locked and with wires hanging overhead that led into each room.  

They passed by many of the rooms, each one containing a different set of equipment, some containing piles of clothes or trays. 

Yet none of them contained any or adults nor patients. 

That... worried Mono slightly. 

Still, they needed to focus on what was important and that was finding the fuses. 

The group kept walking, the hallway eventually splitting once more, though this time there were three paths. One continued straight ahead, a door concealing the path and the sign above it faded with time. The one to the right had lost its door, the sign along its wall reading: 

LAB-AUTHORISED PERSONAL MUST BE WEARING APPROPRIATE EQUIPMENT  

The last path to the left seemed to be the most damaged path, the tiles on the walls coming off and the door that led through the hall was missing entirely. Upon the wall like the other hallway another sign was hung across, the lettering faded but still readable. 

WASTE/SAMPLE STORAGE-BIOHAZARDS PRESENT  

Neither pathway sounded good in Mono’s opinion and another problem also arose from the multiple pathways. Exploring each one as a group would take time, each one having to be checked and returned from multiple times, wasting precious time. 

Time, that they didn’t have.  

So, as much as the idea sounded ludicrous, they would need to split up. 

Which would mean letting Six out of his sight potentially, something which Mono did not want. 

Mono turned to the group, finding all of them except Six, to be looking at him with the clear intention of directions. The boy paused for a second before pointing at the left and right hallways separately, then making a splitting motion with his hands.  

Alle frowned at his suggestion, Six seeming to also not like the idea as a single eyebrow lifted itself into her hairline. Mono saw the Brothers also looked nervous about the prospect, Netty darting his eyes to each hallway slightly, whilst Stub tried to keep his composed face. 

Mono then explained his reasoning, pointing to a clock that was broke on the wall, hands never moving and indicated it would take too long to search each one as a group. Alle seemed to understand what he was getting at, whilst the Brothers although reluctant, seemed to be agreeing with what he was stating. 

Six gave no indication of what she felt, as she simply remained quiet. 

The group agreeing with him was one thing, now getting them into teams was another. Each one needed to have one of the Brothers to carry anything they found, whilst also needing one of them to protect them incase anything happened, though that would still leave one group with two of them. He pondered the decision for another minute before he sighed, coming to a conclusion he really didn’t want to come to. 

Mono turned to Six and Stub, pointing at the two whilst making a connecting gesture to indicate they would go together. The pair raised their eyebrows at him, Stub looking to his Brother for a moment, the youngest merely nodding and rubbing his brother’s shoulder.  

The bag-headed boy then gestured to the remainder of them to indicate they were a team, forming up around him as he turned to pick which hallway to go down. He then saw Six walk past him to walk down the left hallway, Stub trailing behind her, which made Mono react and move forward to grasp her shoulder. 

Six reacted instantly, turning to look at him with a glare, Mono returning it as his eyes conveyed the question that he inquired. 

What did she think she was doing? 

The girl scoffed at her, seemingly questioning why he thought she was under his orders to do anything. Mono’s response was to tighten his glare, trying to make her understand that he was the leader for a reason, not because he was stronger but because he thought ahead. 

Or... at least he tried to. 

Six still rolled her eyes at him, seemingly not impressed by his attempt and instead shrugged off his shoulder and nodded her head towards the other two ways with a sarcastic look in her eyes. 

Was he really going to go down the most damaged path willingly? Was the rhetorical question from her eyes. 

Mono lightened his glare slightly at that, a part of him wondering why she would volunteer to go down the most dangerous looking path. But then he remembered she had powers, so in her case, the most dangerous path was made less threating. 

Even if Stub was going with her...

So, Mono reluctantly nodded, giving her another glare to not try anything whilst he was not around, Six simply replying with another look of amusement before they went down the hallway. 

That left Mono to watch as they walked down the hallway before turning to the others, finding them to be staring at him with confused looks, Alle looking especially annoyed with him. Mono simply sighed and gestured to the right hallway, moving past them. 

As they began their separate paths, Mono could only hope that nothing horrible happened. 

They didn’t need any more misfortune.

Six found herself moving through the hallway with surprising speed, Stub struggling slightly to keep up with her. It wasn’t her intention of course, but her annoyance was running quite high at the moment, making her feet move with energy. 

And it was all because of him. 

Ever since they had come into this city, Mono had done nothing but hound her, constantly questioning her and doubting what she was really doing here. It seemed as though the agreement they had made to stay out of each other’s way wasn’t holding as well as she liked and Six was quickly finding her limit with the boy’s accusations. 

Can you blame him though? After what you did to him I was surprised he didn’t-  

‘Shut it.’ She commanded the shadow, its voice was not going to help alleviate her annoyance. 

If anything, it would only exasperate it. 

At least she was with someone who wasn’t annoying nor trying to pry into her business all the time. 

Stub followed her at with matching steps, his face sat into the more recognizable calm reserved one she had expected from him, though his eyes still conveyed anxiety and worry from their situation. 

Though even Six could tell it wasn’t all from that. 

They continued their way down the hallway, following the damaged tiles around another corner and coming to another pair of doors. They were in slightly better condition than the previous ones, given how they were still attached to the frame and in one piece, though they were still heavily damaged, scratches and marks littering them. 

Six nodded her head to the door at the boy, Stub nodding back as they placed both hands on the door and pushed it open, this time the doors opening with surprising ease. The doors were pushed open with a creak, the pair walking into another hallway and in front of them sat a large metal door. 

The door was clearly meant to be locked and secured, the multiples locks and hinges on its frame suggesting it would take a lot of force to get in. The door was attached to a metal frame, which was surrounded by glass that looked very thick and stained with time, making it difficult to see through it. Indeed, if the situation was different the pair might not have been able to get in and forced to turn back. 

However, given the state of the door, it clearly wasn’t a problem. 

A large gash ran through the door, the metal exterior grazed with extreme force along with many of the locks damaged. The glass surrounding the door was also broken in some places and in many others simply damaged, large spiderwebs breaking along their surfaces. 

By the looks of it, something had tried to get into the room, though it seemed unsuccessful in doing so. Though it did provide them a way in, the glass on the bottom having been smashed. 

Six motioned for the boy to follow, Stub simply nodding back again, as they carefully made their way through the opening carefully to avoid cutting themselves on the shards of glass that remained. Once they did, they found themselves in a large room, its interior barely lit by the lights overhead. The inside was filled with desks and shelves, many of them much larger than any she had seen before, the shelves in particular seeming to expand on forever, each draw seeming to dwarf her in size. 

The desks had numerous things sitting on them, containers, flasks and tools of varying kinds were placed on them and despite the angle, Six could tell they weren’t in great condition. The Yellow Devil then looked to her left, seeing another door that was like the one behind them, large and made of metal, though this one didn’t possess as many locks as the previous. To her right sat another room, seemingly much smaller than the current one and seeming to contain a large machine that neither had any indication of what it did. 

A moment of silence passed before the two looked at each other and the surrounding room, Six signaling that they should both look at either sides to see if they could find a fuse. Stub looked at her nervously for a second, Six gesturing that he would be fine as nothing had jumped out yet nor had they heard anything. 

The boy hesitated for a second before nodding, Six doing her best to give the boy a confident thumbs up to make it clear he was fine. Stub let a little smile come to his face at that before he turned and walked towards the small room on the right. With that, Six turned and looked at the metal door, confidently walking up to it and staring up at it. 

From the looks of it, the door had a single number lock on it that appeared quite thick and sturdy, along with a keyhole on the door itself. First, she would have to see if the door was open and that was easy enough. She moved herself over to the desk, finding a suitable chair and noisily dragging it along the tiled floor to the door.  

Six then clambered onto the chair, taking a leap and grabbing the handle, causing it to release the familiar sound that indicated that it was indeed locked by both types of lock. The teen then let go, falling back onto the chair as she stared up at the locks in thought. Opening the key lock was easy enough, it simply required her to find the key for it, but the code lock would be harder as she had no indication of what it could be.  

Still, the best choice was to begin looking for the key. 

The teen dragged the chair over to the desks to begin the search for the key, hoping it would be in one of them. She opened one of the draws on the first one, finding nothing but papers and dust which she promptly shut to open the next draw up.  

It was the same effect, just papers and what looked like chewing gum. 

Sighing, the girl pulled herself up the chair and onto the desk itself, wondering if the key could be laying on it. Six pulled herself onto the desk with a grunt, standing on it and looking through the many items that littered the desk. Vials and containers of various sizes were scattered across it, many of them filled with liquids that had long since gone bad, others having samples that looked positively rotten. 

But there was no key. 

Six released a breath before jumping to the next desk over, barely avoiding a flask on it before she searched again. The desk was very much the same as the last, flasks and containers everywhere, though this time many of them were empty. Six felt a tinge of annoyance grow in her chest, turning to jump to the next desk. But as she made to do so, her eye caught notice of a piece of paper on the desk, the word ‘Important, please read!’ circled on it. 

Curious, Six moved over to it, her eyes tracing over the words that were scribbled down. 

‘Matt, I know you’ve got a terrible memory problem at the moment but you’ve gotta stop forgetting the door code! This is the fourth time this week you’ve forgotten and don’t say it was because of the TV again, they don’t affect you at all.’ 

‘Look, I’ve written the code on my desk to remind myself, since I don’t wanna get grilled by the boss. So, just check it from time to time, ok?’ 

‘Your friend, Jay.’ 

‘P.S. Please stop giving the key to Megan, she always goes missing for an hour and we can never find where she puts it.’ 

Six pondered the note for a second, wondering who wrote it. 

Certainly not other children that was for sure, they didn’t stay in places like this, nor did they write messages like this. Adults didn’t work either, they rarely did anything other than lumber around and eat, Six rarely seeing them interact with each other and when they did it was rarely communicating. 

So, who wrote it? 

She shook her head, it didn’t matter to her, all that mattered was that it might indicate how to open the door. Six looked around the desk once more, her eyes landing on a metal engraving on its surface. She stepped over to it, eyes reading the words. 

Matthew Thompson. 

Six looked over to the other desks, seeing that they too had similar engravings. She hummed slightly, that would make this easier. 

She jumped over to the next desk, finding it to be a completely different name to the one she was looking for. The girl jumped again, finding the same result, causing her to sigh. 

Maybe it wouldn’t be easier. 

The Yellow Devil continued searching desk to desk, each one giving her a different name to the one she was searching for, each one making her slightly more annoyed.  

Just where was this ‘Jay’ person? 

Six pulled herself up another desk, having to have moved the chair to reach it and moved over to the desk to read the engraving. She was interrupted however, by the sound of something loud and angry coming from behind. 

She reacted quickly, body turning to face the threat, body poised and fists ready to call upon the thing inside her. Her eyes quickly locked onto the source of the sound, finding Stub in the smaller room looking up at the machine from before. It was currently producing a large amount of sound and despite the coverings on it, Six could see a glowing light emerging from it, along with a small amount of black fumes. 

It was an incinerator of some kind. 

Stub had more than likely activated it by accident trying to find anything and by the looks of it, he wasn’t exactly pleased by his own actions. The boy then noticed Six was looking at him, posture very much on edge, causing him to give her an apologetic smile and a nod of his head. 

Six pulled her face back to frown before she ultimately sighed, at least he admitted he had made a mistake and apologized for it. 

Unlike some other people.... 

The girl then turned back to the task at hand, eyes locking onto the engraving on the desk. 

Jayden Hope. 

Six felt confusion at the name, was this the correct person? She knew that kids sometimes shortened their names to make it easier for others to say, so perhaps this was the same thing? 

Her eyes traveled to the items cluttering the desk, trying to pick out anything that stood out. Finally she noticed a small piece of paper, yellow in colouration that was face down on the desk, seemingly having been stuck to something. Six moved over to it, picking up the paper and turning it around.  

The paper was clearly quite old now, stains dotting it, yet despite that she could quite clearly see the numbers written upon it, which were circled and pointed to with various words. 

Six hummed, folding the paper and stuffing it into her coat pocket, not wanting to forget the code. Now, she just needed to find this ‘Megan’. 

A couple of minutes of searching desks later, Six found the one marked with the name ‘Megan Port’ and began searching the entire desk trying to find the key. Yet, despite her best efforts, the key was nowhere to be found. Six felt her face pull into a frown, this ‘Jay’ was correct, just where had this girl put the key? 

Six thought for a moment, if she was trying to hide a key, where would she put it? 

The girl hummed for a second before jumping off the desk and crouching under it, her gaze turning upwards. Her eyes traveled along the underside of the desk, before they finally saw something that stuck out among the smooth metal and wood.  

A button. 

Six tilted her head, reaching out and pressing the button with her hand. A second later, a ‘thunk’ was heard, like that of wood gently knocking into one another. Six looked up, seeing that another draw had come out from the desk itself, cobwebs seeming to stick to it.  

The Yellow Devil clambered back up the chair and hopped into the new draw, finding it to be indeed filled with dust and cobwebs. Yet that wasn’t the most important thing in it, instead her eyes were drawn to what lay on the papers inside, papers that had the words like, ‘Report’ or ‘Status’ and ‘Critical’.  

A key. 

Six picked it up and examined it, it was good condition all things considered, more than likely staying in the draw had helped keep it safe. The girl then tossed the key to the ground with a clang, following shortly after it and picking it up to carry it to the door. 

It was times like these that Six wanted a loop like Mono had. 

A few seconds later Six found herself at the door, placing the key next to it as she dragged another chair over to the door before throwing the key up and pulling herself up. Six then looked up at the code lock, pulling the paper from her pocket to check the code again before nodding. It was a slight pain to input the code, the lock being slightly higher than the chair and her, resulting in her having to jump slightly to hit every number. Eventually however, she succeeded and the familiar sound of the lock becoming undone was heard. 

She nodded, just the key now. 

Six picked it up and shoved the key into the hole, gripping it with both hands and turning it with great force. The lock groaned slightly, but it still relented and released a mechanical clunk as it was opened.  

The Yellow Devil then jumped for the handle again, gripping onto with her hands and watching as it finally began to snap downwards. The sound of the door opening was then heard and Six let go, jumping off the chair to the ground below and pulling it back from the door. 

Six then looked at the door, seeing it was now slightly ajar and ready to be opened. She then heard footsteps behind her, turning to see Stub behind her, who shook his head as he approached.  

He hadn’t found any fuses. 

The girl merely nodded back before gesturing to the door, the brother nodding as they both approached the door and pulled it open...

Only to be met with a chilling breeze. 

Six felt a shiver run up her spine, Stub doing the same as frigid air came spilling out of the now opened door. She looked into the room, seeing it was poorly lit and that the air was indeed freezing, wisps releasing from the room and their breath becoming visible.  

Just what was this room? 

She then turned to Stub, nodding her head into the room, the boy taking a breath before nodding. The two walked in, the cold air becoming even more apparent as they did, Six’s feet sending waves of pain up her legs to let her know they didn’t like this. 

The girl promptly told them to shut up. 

They walked in further, finally able to make out something as they did.  

A shelf. 

Not just one though, multiple shelves. 

They weren't like the others however, they were long, blue and instead of numerous books, jars and flasks kept on them, they only had one type of item.  

Vials. 

Dozens, if not hundreds of them lined the shelves, each one seeming to contain a dark liquid that made Six approach to attain what they were. She squinted her eyes in the dark, barely able to make out what was in the vial.  

Blood. 

Six blinked at that, why was there so much blood in here? 

She then turned her gaze downwards, seeing a label was underneath the vial. She looked down at it, struggling to read the faded writing. 

NAME: IAN J. TRAN  

GENDER: M  

AGE: 45  

BLOOD TYPE: O-  

NOTES: MUTATED PATIENT, SUFFERING FROM MISFORMED FACE, BLOOD IRON LEVELS BEYOND HUMAN LIMIT.  

Six read the words with confusion, not understanding what they were talking about at all. She would have questioned them further, but the sound of Stub whispering to her got her attention.  

The girl turned to face him, able to make out that he was point to something around one of the shelves, a source of light coming from it. Six quickly walked over, Stub turning the corner as she did and finding what he was pointing at. 

A fuse. 

It was plugged into some kind of machine, vents coming out of it that churned out a low growling sound, along with cold air that threatened to freeze her eyes. Seems as though this was what was keeping the room cold. It didn’t matter to them of course, they just needed the fuse. 

Unfortunately, the fuse seemed to be behind some kind of clear thick plastic, the light barely shining out from it.  

And by the looks of it, they needed another, smaller key for it. 

Six however, didn’t know where that key was, nor did she think it would be anywhere nearby. So, they would have to improvise.  

The Yellow Devil turned, walking out of the room much to the confusion of her friend, who silently followed her. She then walked over to the chair from before, pulling it back up to the desk and clambering on it again. She then searched the desk again, eyes landing on what she needed. 

A scalpel. 

Six picked it up, dropping down with it and quickly making her way back into the room, Stub right behind her. She then found the box that contained the fuse, walking up to it and running her hands along the sides, looking for a seam. Her fingers then caught on one and Six slowly brought the scalpel around before jamming it into the seam. 

The scalpel managed to fit in slightly, producing a slight amount of space that allowed her to shove more of it in. Yet, they would need more if they were to break it open.  

Six began to shove the blade further and further in, the plastic protesting as she tried, the medical tool protesting even more as it was forced to do something it was never designed for. She then began to feel the scalpel reach a stopping point, the blade nearly all the way in, yet it was becoming too thick to shove the rest of it in. 

She then felt another presence next to her, seeing Stub now standing opposite her, hands coiling around the instrument like hers, giving her a nod. Six felt a brief sense of bitterness grow in her, but she shoved it down, he wasn’t trying to be superior to her. 

He was just helping. 

They then both began to shove the scalpel, their combined strength allowing them to shove the rest of the blade in, granting them a large surface area to work with for the next part. 

Prying it open. 

Stub moved from his position opposite her, coming to stand alongside her, Six moving up to allow him to place his hands on the scalpel. They then both planted their feet firmly before beginning to push with all their strength. 

The scalpel bent slightly in protest, the plastic even more so, as it was pushed beyond its elastic limit. Six felt the lock on the box, knowing it was the only thing holding the lid on now and knew that either it or the plastic would break first. She continued pushing, Stub doing the same, as the plastic was pushed more and more beyond its limit, the gap created a testament to their strength. 

Finally, something gave. 

Six felt herself nearly going flying as the lid finally gave, the sound of plastic snapping reverberating through the air, followed by the sound of something hitting the floor and skirting along it. She turned, finding that the plastic had indeed broken first, the lock remaining where it was, whilst the lid had gone flying. 

The teen then turned, finding Stub had gone to his knees from the sudden disappearance of the lid, the boy taking a second to gather himself. Six made a small noise, then outstretched her hand to him, the boy staring up at it before grasping it and allowing her to pull him up. 

A small smile appeared on the boy’s face as he released a muted ‘thank you’ from his lips, Six simply nodding in reply. 

The two then walked back to the box, seeing the fuse was now exposed and ready to be pulled from the socket it was now in. Six placed her hands on it, tugging slightly and releasing the fuse from its place, the sound of electricity ceasing entering her ears. 

A moment later, the machine above them released a sputter before going silent, followed by what little light was in the frigid room ceasing, plunging them into darkness, the only source of light being the fuse. Six turned to the doorway outside, seeing that the light was still pouring in from it. 

Six hummed as they made their way through the doorway, seems as though the fuse was only for this room, which was good since that meant that any- 

Her musings were interrupted by the sound of circuits breaking, lights flickering and the presence of the light disappearing.  

The lights above them had vanished, the only source now reduced to the fuse, illuminating only a small space around them. Six felt annoyance creep up her again, she had spoken too soon, hadn’t she? 

Indeed she had, because from the darkness, she heard it. 

That familiar tune, that of adults singing in a reverent way, like they were praying for something, begging for something. Yet underneath the tune was a more familiar sound, a sound that grated the ears and spiked adrenaline into the heart. 

That of the rattling of plastic against flesh, the sound of mismatched body parts clanging together. 

Six felt her nerves become sensitive, her eyes narrowing, as the sound echoed through the hallway. 

They were still here... 

And they knew they were here now. 

She sighed again. 

Nothing was ever easy was it? 

Chapter Text

Mono felt his heart beat in his chest at an abnormal rate, the fear of where he was, creeping into his very flesh. Why was he here again? Why was he in this place of horror and death from his past, alongside those he trusted and loved and one whom he despised? 

He turned his gaze to Netty, finding his face to be one of someone attempting to remain brave in the face of dread. 

Mono sighed, he remembered now. 

He was trying to make up for what he had done. 

Still, that didn’t mean he was enjoying what he was doing nor regretting coming. 

The hallway before them was poorly lit, yet there was still enough light to expose the grimy walls of tiles that reflected the light, the stains upon them brown and rotten like that of decay. The smell that irradiated from the hallway was putrid, not as bad as the Morgue had been all the time ago, but still enough to cause the throat to retch and the stomach to roll. 

Those beside him fared no better, Alle turning her nose up at the stink, whilst Netty had gagged at it. Yet neither complained, they had smelt it before and worse things had entered their nostrils. 

It was simply a part of this world. 

So, they marched on, the grime plastered walls becoming more and more stained as they went on. Finally, they reached another set of doors, caked in filth with the glass windows on them nearly impossible to see through. The doors had numerous signs and labels stuck to their surface, many of them warnings of hazards, others pictures of symbols that none of them understood, though the skull was universal in understanding. 

Mono looked back to Alle, nodding his head towards the door, earning a nod from her as they placed their hands on the set of doors and pushed. The door creaked in protest, hinges filled with rust releasing an awful sound that filled the air. A few seconds of pushing the door later, it finally gave and went flying inwards, Mono managing to catch himself from falling to the ground.  

The teen raised his head to look at what was before him, only to cover his nose with his sleeve when the air from the room hit him.  

It reeked of death. 

Mono found the smell to be indescribable, like that of corpses that had been left to rot, only with the addition of a scent that he had never smelt before that clung to his throat and made it dry. 

Though even that was still underselling it. 

The boy then heard his best friend beside him cough at the smell same as him, whilst Netty retched and covered his mouth in an attempt to stop his stomach from emptying. Whatever was in here, wasn’t pleasant and a part of him dreaded what was causing the smell. 

Still, they continued through the hallway, arms covering their faces to staunch the horrible smell that permeated the air. As they did, Mono noticed the walls becoming more and more covered with filth, the tiles covered with moss and growths of disease that looked unsightly to behold. They walked for another minute down the filth crusted hallway, before they finally came to another door, this one looking in slightly better shape somehow, despite the walls around it. 

Mono made to nod at Alle, but was interrupted by Netty moving past them and placing his hands on the door, looking back at them with an expectant look. 

The bag-headed teen raised an eyebrow but said nothing as he approached the boy, seems as though he was tired of standing around and doing nothing. Mono placed his hands alongside Netty’s as they both pushed the door, causing it to slowly inch open, the sound of something snapping off heard behind it. A final push from them sent it open and the smell of rot from before somehow worsened. 

Darkness was present inside the room, shrouded unlike the hallway behind it, causing Mono to bring the flashlight back up and shine it into the room.  The light revealed the floor of the room, a blinding white that seemed to be made of a different material to the tiles they had walked on. Grime and filth caked it like the hallway however, though it seemed even worse, the very floor seeming to quiver with small insects. 

Mono took a hesitant step in, feet meeting the grimy floor and sending a shiver up his spine. The others followed behind him hesitantly, experiencing the same feelings him when they walked into the room. He then shone the light around the room, illuminating various desks and stations that had sinks and taps on them, along with nozzles for something.  

Just like the floor, each one was covered in filth, the taps seeming to be covered in a pale crust that looked like scabs, whilst the sinks seemed rusted and filled with grime. Mono then turned the flashlight to his left, briefly illuminating the air above them that seemed so filthy that it reflected the light. The left side of the room seemed to contain an assortment of cupboards and shelves, each one housing various glasses and tubes that bended in strange ways. 

Alongside the left wall was also a door, bolted shut with chains and a lock that seemed in good condition, despite the rest of the room.  

Mono then turned the flashlight to the other side of the room, revealing more of the stations from before, along with another door that was surrounded by some kind of see-through covering.  

The teen saw Netty look at him with a confused expression on his face, gesturing to the covering around door, which made him simply shrug his shoulders in response. 

He didn’t know why it was like that. 

Still, that wasn’t what they were here for and Mono gestured for them to gather in a circle.  

They needed to search the room for what they were looking for, fuses. The main problem, however, was that the size of the room along with the darkness would make it difficult. With only one source of light, they would be forced to search as a group, increasing the amount of time it would take to search the room.  

Unfortunately, they didn’t have a choice. 

So, Mono gestured to the left side of the room, wanting to start from that end and work their way up from there. The other two nodded, though Netty seemed hesitant to do so but followed all the same, as Mono made his way across the room. 

The torch in his hand revealed more and more of the white floor, faded with time and stained with grime, though not as bad as the walls for some reason. More of the room was revealed as they approached the door, equipment with tubes and ports stacked on surfaces, none of them knowing what they did.  

Mono then stopped a meter from the door, eyes looking up at it, the torch in his hand following. It was very much metal in construction, thick steel that was scratched and dented in some places, the remnants of what appeared to be a lock loosely hanging from the side. The main feature of the door however, were the thick chains strewn across it, connected to loops on either side of the door that looped around it multiples times. Three massive locks were placed upon the chains, holding them and preventing the door from opening. 

The group stared at the door for a few seconds, wondering why it was so heavily fortified and wondering what lay inside. Mono however, despite his curiosity, didn’t want to know. 

His curiosity nearly killed him last time...

Instead, he gestured to the equipment and stations to their right, wanting to search them for any fuses that might be hidden or powering the machines. The group nodded and Mono led the way towards them. Searching the area would be hard without the light, so Mono placed the torch on the ground and propped it up with his bag, so it at least illuminated enough for all of them. 

They then went to work, Netty and Alle searching the stations and cupboards whilst he went about examining the equipment.  

Many of the pieces of equipment were faded with time, though Mono wasn’t sure what half of them were, except the microscope, he knew that one. None of them were particularly big enough to contain the massive fuses, many of them simply having leads that led into the wall for power. 

Power... 

Like that which ran through the TVs. 

He shuddered, part of him hoping that none of those dreaded things were in this place still. 

Mono shook his to rid himself of the thoughts as he stepped back, no fuses here and by the looks on his friends faces, they had found none either. Still, there was a lot of room to search and Mono was confident that there was a fuse somewhere in here. He picked up the torch and bag, wandering past the stations they had searched in favour of the others. 

They went to work searching every station in the room, each one filled with nothing but broken tools and filth that all of them were reluctant to touch. 

However, they still hadn’t found a fuse. 

Alle released a sound of annoyance at the lack of them, Mono calming her with a gentle sound, they still had plenty of room left to search.   

They turned their attention to the rest of the stations, slowly searching through them, checking every surface and draw that was available. Yet, they still didn’t find a fuse, only finding more of what they had found before. Netty did, however, find a scalpel that was mostly intact and sharp, deciding to pocket it in the bag in case they needed it for anything. 

Other than that however, they were running out of room to search, the only part left being the door with the covering surrounding it. They approached it with a curious looks, wondering why exactly it had been built like this, compared to the rest of the Hospital. It was a question for another time however, they needed to search the room inside for fuses first.  

The door would be a no go, the key for it was unlikely to be nearby and even if they did find it, Mono doubted it would work, given the state of the lock. They wouldn’t need to go through the door however, not with the covering around it being much easier to get through. 

Mono shined the light on a section of the covering, holding it there whilst Alle stepped forward and drew her sword, aiming it high before thrusting it forward. The covering, surprisingly, resisted the thrust, forcing Alle to push her body into her sword to finally see it through. When it was finally penetrated, Alle began to push the blade downwards, slowly carving the thin plastic and creating a tear of decent size. 

Alle then withdrew her sword and sheathed it, before grasping the tear and pulling it to her side, ripping it open to create a decent sized hole. The bodyguard then turned to them and nodded, crouching down slightly and pushing herself through the hole.  

Mono gestured to Netty to go next, the boy nodding and climbing through the hole, though with some difficulty due to the massive backpack he was carrying. Mono watched the boy crawl through the hole for a second before turning the flashlight behind him to check nothing was watching. The light revealed nothing but the room behind him.  

He nodded at the sight before turning back to the hole and pushing himself through it, struggling with it due to his height. He finally pushed himself through, the light revealing Netty and Alle, the latter who wore a slight smile at his struggle to get through.

The teen rolled his eyes at his friend before shining the light forward, revealing the room they were now in. 

To the right of them sat a sink, slightly larger in construction and somewhat lower to the ground, the inside of it filled with what appeared to be mud. Mono then shined the light to the rest of the room, revealing more of the stations from before, except nearly everything present had been covered or wrapped in some kind of plastic film.  

Mono raised an eyebrow at the scene, he had never seen anything like this before.  

He took a step forward, illuminating more of the room and the film that covered it, every space reflecting back the light and revealing the dust that covered it all. Alle and Netty followed behind him, wondering the same as him as they inspected the room, wondering why it was like this. The light then revealed a laminated sign stuck to one of the covered stations and despite the faded writing, Mono could make it out. 

QUARANTINE IN EFFECT: ROOM ISOLATED UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE  

Mono frowned at the words and what they displayed, he knew what quarantine meant, but he wasn’t sure what it was actually referring to. 

Still, they couldn’t let a sign from who knows how long ago stop them, they’d come this far after all.   

The bag-headed teen signaled for the two to follow, earning a couple of nods as he led them into the darkened room. The sound of their footsteps echoed in the room, providing the only sound for the atmosphere, which put Mono on edge slightly. The flashlight barely illuminated the space in front of them as they walked, the plastic concealing everything underneath it.  

Eventually, they reached another door, this one a stark white that matched the floor they walked on. Unlike the door from before, this one appeared normal, wooden in construction with a simple metal handle. The door also possessed a massive lock on it that kept the door locked, clearly requiring a key to open it.  

Mono frowned at the sight, turning the torch upwards and revealing the sign that sat above the doorway. 

AIR FILTRATION UNIT: KEEP LOCKED AT ALL TIMES  

The boy pushed his lips, handing the flashlight to Alle and walking over to the door, placing the side of his bag against it. Mono pressed his ear against the wood, trying to hear anything behind it. After a few seconds of nothing, he finally heard what he wanted to hear. 

Machinery, releasing a small but audible buzzing sound as it worked and by the sound alone, Mono could tell it was a decent sized machine. That often meant a fuse was present, though not guaranteed it was still their best bet. 

The only problem now was getting in. 

Breaking the lock was out of the question, despite how long it had been there, it still looked very sturdy and wouldn’t break even with all of them trying. As such, that only left the option of finding the key or trying a different way in. Mono lifted his head off the door and turned it back to the others, eyes wandering around the poorly lit, plastic-covered room. 

Finding the key would be a problem. 

Still, they needed to look, even if it was a massive undertaking. 

Mono walked up to them, gesturing to the lock on the door to indicate they needed to search for the key, causing the other two to nod and turn back into the room. Mono led them past the stations, knowing that if the key was here, it wouldn’t be in any of them. Instead, they went past their way in, deciding to explore the other side of the room and see if anything was there. 

The light in Alle's hand revealed more the plastic-wrapped room, more stations and desk covered in the stuff, whilst the shelves dotted around the room were free of it. Eventually, the light revealed another room, a doorway leading into it with a door that looked slightly battered.  

Alle released a ‘psst’ at Netty, causing him to turn to her as she handed him the flashlight to hold it facing the door. Mono then walked past her, standing under the handle and cupping his hands for Alle to be thrown. The bodyguard complied, placing her foot into the makeshift hold and jumping with his toss, grabbing the handle. 

A satisfying clunk was heard as the handle was brought down, the door opening and allowing Alle to let go and assist Mono with pushing the door open. The door swung open with a creak, the flashlight slowly illuminating the inside of the new room, revealing a floor that was a grey plastic to the rest of the room. The group stepped in, Netty at the back with the flashlight and revealing more of the room. 

The room appeared to be some kind of storage, cheap looking metal shelves stacked along the wall to their right, whilst a simple wooden desk sat on the wall opposite, countless items usually found in a home scattered across it. A small cupboard sat above the desk, a small padlock across it that prevented it opening. 

Mono gestured for Netty to swing the light around the room, wanting to see more of it and see if there was any key. Netty nodded, turning the light around the room and illuminating the pale walls, paint stripping off them slightly. The light revealed nothing more as it spun around the room, causing Mono to frown, was there really no- 

Then, the light found a small box on the wall, made of metal with a small door that was slightly ajar and labelled, ‘Spare Keys.’ 

The teen released a surprised sound, that was... uncommon, usually keys were more hidden than this. Still, he wasn’t going to complain as he gestured to Alle in helping him move the chair that sat under the desk.  

A few seconds of noisy pulling later, the chair was under the wall with the box, the pair of them climbing the chair and staring up at the box. Even with the additional height they still couldn’t reach it and by the looks of it, even if they boosted one of them up, they wouldn’t reach it. So, they’d have to get creative. 

Alle slung the backpack off her shoulder and sat it down on the chair, opening it up and rummaging through it before she extracted what she needed.  

A slim piece of rope. 

The girl took the rope in her hands, tying a small loop into the rope before handing it to Mono, who took it with a nod before looking up at the box. The handle for the box was sticking out and an easy target for the teen, as he spun the loop in his hands for a few seconds before tossing it at the box. The loop missed the handle by an inch, making Mono groan as he pulled the rope back up to him. 

Easy didn’t mean he could do it first try. 

It took a few more attempts for the rope to finally snag on the handle, Mono pulling it to secure it before swinging the rope down to Netty. The youngest took the rope and tied it to the bottom of the chair, securing it tightly and giving it a tug to make sure it wouldn't come loose. Satisfied that it wouldn’t, Netty gave the pair above him a thumbs up, Alle responding with her own. 

Alle then gripped the rope in her hands, tugging it a couple of times before pulling herself up and beginning her ascent. Mono watched as his friend pulled herself up and knowing despite the groans she released, that this was nothing new to her. 

The door swung slightly as she got closer, but she continued to climb, finally reaching the box and carefully climbing atop it. Once she did, Mono motioned to Netty and the boy undid the rope and pulled it away from them to open the small cabinet. 

A squeak came from the cabinet as it opened, the inside of it revealing a series of hooks with different keys attached to them. Above each hook was a sign indicating what it unlocked, such as, ‘Toilet’ and ‘Operating theater’. However, the most important one to them was the one labelled, ‘Ventilation.’ 

Mono pointed to the key, Alle nodding before she carefully swung herself into the box and took the key off the hook before tossing it down to Mono, the boy catching it with a slight wince. Alle then took the loop of rope off the handle with some difficulty, tossing it to Netty who caught it and wrapped it back up. 

They’d more than likely need the rope again at some point, so leaving it behind was pointless. 

The bag-headed teen then jumped off the chair with the key, the sound of Alle jumping onto the chair, then the floor very much audible. After sorting everything out, the group began their walk back to the other door, key in hand and ready to unlock it.  

They eventually returned to the door, the group having to pause unlocking the door to get a chair out from underneath the plastic covering and drag it to the door. Once that was done, Mono mounted the chair with the key in his hands, lifting it up and inserting it into the lock. A satisfying sound was heard as he did and Mono readjusted his grip on the key to turn it.

Except, it didn’t. 

Confused, Mono tried turning the key again, finding that the lock was slightly resistant in being opened. The teen frowned, gripping the key and turning it with more force. A groan of protest was earned from his efforts and the key slowly spun in the lock.  

Mono smiled slightly, seems as though for once things would be easy- 

‘Snap.’ 

The boy felt himself suddenly lean forward suddenly, as the sound that had just emerged reached his ears. He caught himself and stood straight again, looking up at the lock and realizing what had happened. 

The key had snapped. 

Half of it was stuck in the lock, halfway turned inside and jagged on the end. Meanwhile, he held the rounded end in his hands, still gripping it with the same amount of strength he had been. Mono looked at the broken key for a second before turning his gaze to the others, finding them to be wide eyed with a hint of annoyance lurking inside. 

Mono sighed. 

He had spoken too soon about things being easy. 

The bag wearing teen tossed the broken key to the ground, a loud clattering produced from the action as he looked up at the door. They would have to find another way in now and by the looks of it, that wouldn’t be easy. 

Mono then heard a whisper next to him and turned to find Alle, pointing at the ceIling and making him look. He looked at the ceiling and despite the low light, he could tell there was nothing out of the ordinary on it. The teen looked at his friend with a confused expression, what was she trying to point out? 

Alle sighed and made a pushing motion upwards before pointing at the ceiling again. Understanding became apparent in his eyes and Mono turned his gaze upwards again. The ceiling was one of those with multiple square tiles that sat in spaces, easily pushed aside to allow entrance into the space in the ceiling and traversal between rooms. 

Like they had done before... 

He shook the memories from his head, focus, Alle had found a way forward for them. 

The boy turned back to Alle and nodded, looking around at the room before gesturing to Nety to shine the flashlight around. By the looks of it, the easiest way to get into the ceiling would be to climb atop the massive shelf in the storage closet and push aside a square in there.  

Mono brought it up to the others, earning a nod from both of them. 

They made their way back to the room and after some descion making, moved the chair under the table from before so they could climb up to it and the shelf that sat above it. A few seconds of knocking various items off the shelf later, the group stood opposite the storage shelf, ready to leap off and climb it. 

Alle went first, followed by Mono and then Netty, the last struggling slightly with his larger bag and smaller size, but managed all the same. They then looked up at the ceiling, Alle poking a tile with her sword and dislodging it, allowing them to jump into the space above with relative ease.  

The inside of the crawl space was obiously dark, dusty and filled with a slight smell of decay that was nothing compared to the room from before. The group moved onwards regardless, Alle once more carrying the light as they crawled their way across the tiles. They moved in relative silence for a couple of minutes, the sound of electricity passing through the cables next to them audible, along with the noise of air passing through the vents. 

Yet, as they passed through an intersection that led somewhere else, Mono heard something... 

A small...skittering sound. 

Mono paused, the others stopping as he turned his head down the darkened space. The sound came again, this time louder, clearer, like that of fingers drumming against- 

His eyes widened, he knew that sound. 

He quickly whispered to Alle in a harsh tone, his friend raising an eyebrow before turning the flashlight down the other path. The light revealed more of the same, dust covering white tiles, cables spread about in a dangerous pattern. Then, something moved at the edge of the light, just out of view, a small shadow present behind it. 

Alle squinted her eyes at the sight, leaning forward slightly with the flashlight and trying to get a better look. More light poured down the space, the tile under Alle groaning slightly as she did. The sound caused the thing at the end of the light to stop, moving around till it faced them and began to move into the light... 

And confirming what it was. 

A hand...

Though it had obviously seen better days. 

The flesh that clung to it was now stretched thin across the bone of the detached limb, making the hand resemble a spider even more than before. The skin was now green in some places, seemingly rotting off the thing, the fingers showing the worst of it. More than likely from using them constantly to move, the fingertips had been ground down, the flesh pealing back and revealing the bone underneath which clicked and clattered as it dragged itself along. 

A beat passed as the walking hand pulled itself slightly closer, the group watching with baited breaths, one knowing what would happen soon, the other two wondering what they were looking at. Then, Alle adjusted herself, creating a small sound that even they would find difficult to discern from normal sounds of the building. 

But the hand didn’t. 

It stopped in its tracks, boney middle finger raising itself like a creature moving its neck to see what had caused the noise, pausing for a second as it ‘looked’ at them. 

Then, it broke into a full out crawling sprint, boney fingers rattling against the ceiling. 

Immediately, they all pushed themselves back, trying to create more distance between them and the detached hand. Yet Mono knew it was futile, the hands were incredibly fast and given the restrictions of the tight space they were in, it was pointless to try and run. 

So, he signaled to them to stop, shaking his head to let them know there was no point. Netty went wide eyed at that, shock in his eyes wondering what he was doing. Alle meanwhile, managed to compose herself a bit better, but still looked at him like he was mad.  

Mono simply responded by turning his gaze back to the hand, watching as it got closer and closer, seconds away from reaching them. He felt his heart quicken, sweat appearing on his hands, what could they do? Fighting the damn thing would be hard in the confine space they were in, even with Alle backing him up. 

The sound of the hand getting closer made his thoughts even more erratic, the speed at which the hand approached making the tiles bend inwards slightly. 

Mono raised his head slightly, an idea forming in his mind. 

He turned to the pair behind him, gesturing for them to crawl back slightly more urgently. They complied, though Alle wore a look of concern on her face as she did. Mono then turned back to the hand, watching as it got closer. He acted quickly thrusting his hands to the tile in front of him, hands digging underneath it and grabbing the edge of it. He then readjusted his stance, feet propped alongside his hands, as he watched the hand approach, closer and closer.... 

Faster and faster... 

Now mere inches away from him. 

Mono kept his eyes locked on it, eyes straining and not blinking. 

Then, the hand stopped accelerating for just a moment. 

Before it leaped right where he was... 

And Mono jumped back and pulled. 

The tile came with him as he did, a hole now created that led into the room below them, a considerable distance between the ceiling and the floor. The hand of course, didn’t realize this until it jumped over the hole and hit the tile he was still holding, fingers trying to find purchase on the square. Unfortunately, boney fingers don’t make for good gripping and the hand slowly sank back into the hole, falling into the room below. 

A beat passed, Mono feeling the breaths in his lungs leaving and entering at a rapid pace before he set aside the tile and looked down the hole he created.  

The room below them was the one they were in, plastic film still present, though difficult to see into without any light. Though Mono couldn’t see anything, he also couldn’t hear anything, which made him nod, the urge to spit into the room high. 

He hated those things. 

Mono then turned to the others, finding them to be wearing expressions of relief on their faces, Alle especially wearing a smile. Mono nodded to them before gesturing for them to continue onwards. The group did, the rest of their journey thankfully not interrupted by anything else. 

The group stopped their journey along the tiles once Mono heard the sound of machinery below them, indicating Netty to pull one of the tiles off. The scav compiled, ripping the tile off and allowing  
Alle to shine the light into the room below. 

 It was indeed the ‘Air filtration’ room, as the sign had put it, different in design from the previous one. The walls were coloured blue, the floor still white, and seemingly in better condition than the rest of the building. Mounted on the walls were a series of cables leading to light fixtures, some of them on, though most were broken.  

The main feature of the room however, was the machine that was fixed to the wall opposite the door.  

It was a massive thing of pipes and wires, metal shaped into cubes that hummed and vibrated, the sound of air being taken apparent. A panel with multiple buttons sat in the middle of it all, above it a pipe that led upwards into the rafters and went straight to the room from before. Many lights flickered on the panel and machine itself, many blaring crimson red, with only a few green. The most important light however, was the bright warming light that emerged from the socket next to the panel. 

The light given off by a fuse. 

Mono smiled at the sight, about time they found one. 

The only problem now was getting to it.  

He pondered the question for a second before signaling to Alle to take the rope back out of her bag and scale downwards. The bodyguard nodded, retrieving it from her bag and managing to tie the end around the frame of the ceiling. After making sure it was secure, Alle went first, gripping the rope and slowly lowering herself down it, the metal frame bending slightly but not giving. 

The rope of course, didn’t reach all the way to the ground, only reaching halfway through the room and forcing Alle to let go of it, landing with an audible thud. She then turned upwards, giving a thumbs up before proceeding to walk over to the machine.  

Mono then nodded his head at Netty for him to go next, the boy looking nervously down at the rope and the ground below. The teen looked at him with confusion, before remembering a detail about the youngest. 

He was afraid of heights. 

Still, they couldn’t let something like this stop them, so Mono placed a comforting hand on the youngest’s shoulder, giving it a reassuring squeeze. Netty tensed for a second, before relaxing slightly and sighing, turning to Mono and nodding. 

Mono smiled at him, gesturing to the rope again, which the boy hesitantly took and began his descent. His was much slower than Alle’s, but he made it down all the same, landing with a solid thud and a groan.  

The bag-headed teen nodded at the sight, before gripping the rope and beginning his own descent. Mono’s hands gripped the rope with a secure grip as he descended, fingers straining slightly as they held his weight. Yet, as he did, he felt the rope shake slightly above him before it suddenly dropped downwards slightly. 

Panic rippled up his body, the teen looking up to see what was happening. His eyes locked onto the rope and where it was tied, seeing that the frame it was tied around was bending inwards from his weight and ready to break. 

Despite the situation, Mono could only frown. Why now of all times did it decide to break? He didn’t weight that much more than Alle and Netty!  

His thoughts were then interrupted by the sound of the metal giving and gravity suddenly claiming him with prejudice. 

Mono fell for only a second, the rope coming with him before he suddenly hit the ground. Pain riveted up his back, spine, hip and head releasing bouts of pain that made the world blurly. He lay on the floor for a few seconds, eyes adjusting before Alle suddenly came into his vision, an expression of concern consuming her face. 

“Are you ok?” Alle whispered to him, voice low and greatly concerned. 

The teen groaned for a second at the question, taking a breath and pushing himself up. Stinging pain erupted up his back as he did, choosing to ignore it in favour of sitting up and rubbing his aching head. He looked around for a second at the room they were in, taking a deep breath before patting himself down. 

Good, nothing broken, just hurt temporarily and bruises later. 

Mono looked up at Alle, giving her a nod to signal he was alright, the bodyguard nodding back and offering her hand which he took. Once he was up again, he took stock of the room again, pointing to the machine which they all walked over to, though he did so with a slight wince in his step. 

The machine hummed as he stood before it, lights flashing occasionally for reasons unknown to him and the others. The fuse they wanted sat to the left of the panel on the machine, glowing brightly and alluringly.  

Mono pointed to the fuse, indicating that was what they were searching for, the other two nodding before Netty spoke up. 

“How do we get it?” He asked, tilting his head upwards at the thing in question. 

The bag-headed teen pushed his lips at the question, looking up at the fuse light Netty. There were no chairs in the room to reach it, nor anything else they could move, the room was simply filled with the machine and wiring. Mono then heard Alle sigh next to him, pushing past both of them and looking up at the machine before grabbing one of the pipes to haul herself up it. 

Mono shook his head at the sight, hissing at her slightly, what did she think she was doing?  

Alle merely looked back down at him and rolled her eyes, mouthing the word, ‘Overprotective’ to him and resumed climbing. Mono meanwhile crossed his arms and huffed, he wasn’t overprotective, he was just concerned... 

Still, Alle climbed up the machine, jumping from pipe to box before finally reaching the fuse. The girl positioned herself next to it, looking it up and down, deciding the best way to remove the fuse. Alle eventually decided to position herself above the fuse, gripping onto a loose wire and turn herself around. 

The bodyguard then placed her feet on the fuse, pushing with her back against the machine with all her strength.  

Mono watched from below as the fuse didn’t move for a second, before the sound of plastic grating against metal was heard, followed by the sound of air suddenly escaping. The fuse slowly moved as Alle pushed, the machinery around it now buzzing inconsistently. Finally, the fuse gave and was spat out, Alle nearly falling from the sudden loss of support but held onto the wire firmly. 

The fuse fell towards the ground, Mono making to move and catch it but was beaten by Netty. The youngest stood underneath the fuse, catching it and nearly falling over in the process, though he  managed to prevent himself from doing so. 

Mono raised an eyebrow at the action but said nothing, at least it hadn’t hit the ground, even if he knew how sturdy the fuses could be. The teen then heard the sound of Alle climbing down, followed by her jumping and landing with a thud. She then stood giving Mono a nod that he gave back. 

Now, the only question was how they were going to get out of- 

Mono felt himself trip nearly, as the sound of an alarm blared in his ears. 

The boy placed his hands over his ears, turning his head to look at the source, finding it to be the machine from before. The few lights that had been green before now blared red like the rest, the lights along the wall doing the same as the machine. Among the blaring noise of the siren, Mono could barely make out a voice, seemingly distorted with time and buried under static, to the point he could only make out two words. 

EMERGENCY.... DISCONNECTION...  

Then, the machine rumbled once more, before everything on it went dark. 

The room then followed, plunging them into darkness. 

Darkness consumed the entire room, everybody confused for as second, before realizing the fuse provided a source of light. They huddled around it, Alle producing the flashlight and turning it on, providing another source of light to the room. 

Mono sighed as they composed themselves, seems as though removing the fuse had done something to the power, though he didn’t know what. Now getting out of here would be even more problematic, especially now that it was dark. 

But as he stood around the fuse wondering what to do, he heard it. 

The sound that made him choke on his breath, the sound that made his blood run cold and hairs stand on end like they were frozen. 

Rattling.  

Not just any rattling though... 

The plastic rattling of fake limbs as they moved. 

Those of the Patients. 

Instantly and without warning, Mono shot his head towards the door, hearing the sound through it and how it was getting closer. His companions turned to look at the door same as him, though not with the same feverish fear as him. The sound got closer and closer to the door, approaching outside of it and stopping. 

Mono felt a brief sense of calm, good, it couldn’t get through the door, especially with the lock broken. 

Except, it didn’t need to worry about the lock. 

Not when it started to bash it in. 

The door buckled inwards from the sudden blow, the metal lock cracking inwards slightly inside the frame. Mono felt his eyes widen, Alle and Netty doing the same from the sudden action. Another bash followed and Mono realized that the Patient would break in within another few strikes. 

He quickly looked around the room for somewhere to hide before realizing there was nowhere. He then pointed to the wall alongside the door, hoping if they pressed themselves against it, the Patient might not notice them.  

The other two nodded and they quickly moved as the door was bashed again, metal lock on the verge of breaking. Mono then hissed at Alle to turn the light off, the bodyguard looking confused but following his command regardless. 

A second later, another crash was heard and the door burst inwards with a shower of splinters, lock broken. A beat passed of silence, followed by the sound of twitching, as the familiar sight of plastic limbs emerged into the room.  

Mono held his breath as the patient walked into the room, the low light not permitting him to see its full form, only the faint outline of it seen in the shadows. Even with only that, Mono could tell that the Patient was not like those he had seen before. 

At the moment however, that didn’t matter. 

The Patient staggered itself into the small room, pace uneven and stiff, like that of a broken toy trying to walk. It walked over to the machine that now lied dormant, seemingly looking it over for some reason, despite the fact that Mono knew the things had no intelligence to speak of. 

But as it stood right now, it was distracted and that meant they could sneak out. 

He slowly waved to Alle and Netty to move towards the door, the pair of them nodding as they slowly tiptoed their way across the floor. Their feet made the barest of sounds on the floor, so quiet from years of skulking in the shadows that even animals would struggle to hear them. They reached the frame of the door, ready to turn into the room. 

Unfortunately, Mono had forgotten a crucial detail about the Patients. 

They didn’t use their eyes or ears to see nor hear, for they didn’t have any. 

Which meant that sneaking past it, didn’t matter. 

This is why as soon as they reached the doorway, the thing suddenly jerked around, somehow aware of their presence and staring at them for but a moment before breaking into a broken form of a sprint. 

But it was still a sprint. 

Which is what they did as well. 

All of them broke into hurried runs, just able to make it into the plastic covered room and begin running through it. Unfortunately, the Patient behind them was fast and they quickly heard the sound of it fast approaching. 

Mono knew that running from it was futile, the damn things always seemed to know where he was when he was last here. So, that left only one option. 

He turned his head to Alle who was in front, shouting to her as they ran. 

“Light!” He exclaimed, causing the girl to look back at him for a moment before remembering what he had said about the adults.  

The girl slid and turned into position, flashlight raised in her hands at the adult before she turned it on and illuminated the amalgamation of fake and real flesh. Mono did the same, stopping behind Alle, along with Netty and allowing him to finally see the Patient... 

In all its horrifying glory. 

Mono had been right in guessing that the patient was different from any others he had seen, though he wished he wasn’t. The basic form was there, a fleshy torso that was all that remained of what was once an adult, everything else replaced by fake plastic limbs. One foot was a pegleg, a simple wooden stick that provided little support for the body. An arm that ended in a hook, rather than a hand and a mask for a face that hung from a simple steel wire jutting from the torso, though this mask seemed more complete than the rest, actually having lips and a chin. 

But what made it different, was everything else that was bolted on. 

Multiple limbs emerged from the Patient’s back, numbering at least a dozen, all in different directions, all diffferent lengths and all ending in different hands. An extra two arms also extended from the thing’s torso, bolted just above the waist and frozen, reaching out to grab them. The limbs all had scratches and bumps along their surfaces, all of them seemingly stained with filth and dried blood. They gave the adult a terrifying visage, like it had been in a scuffle, like the limbs weren’t theirs. 

Like they had been taken from others...

The thing looked down at them, frozen in place from the light and leering over them, ready to try and snatch them up in the multiple limbs. Mono and the others stood frozen for a second, simply staring at the Amalgamation, taking in what they were seeing as Mono came to an obvious conclusion. 

That they needed to get away from this thing, now. 

Mono turned, giving a harsh whisper to them and tilting his head back to start walking towards the way out. The other two nodded, Netty’s eyes glancing up at the frozen adult, as Alle started to walk backwards, light trained on the adult.  

Netty had to go first, as the light from the fuse was all they had, given that the flashlight was currently occupied with the Patient. They crept towards the door slowly, Mono guiding Alle as she went backwards, the thing jerking towards them every time it was out of range of the light, always stepping back into it. 

Finally, they reached the tear they had created and Mono quickly told Netty to get through, the boy quickly nodding and slipping through, fuse in hand. Alle then came as close as she could to the opening, light still trained on the thing, turning her head and nodding at the boy.  

Mono nodded back, quickly pushing himself through the gap and turning to look back at Alle. The girl kept the light trained on the adult, before carefully laying it on the ground facing the adult, as she slid herself through the gap backwards, eyes never leaving the Amalgamation.  

Finally, she came through and took a second to breathe, before reaching through and sliding the flashlight through, causing the adult to instantly press itself against the covering. Both of them kept their eyes trained on it, knowing that the adult could easily rip through the covering, Mono turning to tell Netty to keep moving. 

Except, he wasn’t there... 

All that was present was a fuse, awkwardly laying on its side. 

Panic built up in his chest, eyes scanning the darkened room for the youngest, had he put the fuse down to rest?  

Alle likewise noticed the absence of the boy, flashing the light around to see where he was. 

But neither could see him. 

Mono walked forward slightly, looking at the fuse before looking around again with concern, where the hell was he? 

Then, he saw it, in the hallway they had come down. 

A figure, that of an adult and definitely NOT a patient, walking away from them. 

And in their hand, they carried a struggling figure... 

One who was the smallest of three. 

Eyes widened at the sight, Mono frantically pointing to the adult as it walked away, Alle nodding to confirm what she saw. They needed to move quickly, before the adult killed him or did something worse to him. 

He made to move, picking the fuse up as he did to catch up to the pair. 

But he stopped when he heard a sound behind him. 

Not that of the adult tearing through the covering...

Not of it opening the door...

And not that of his friend...

No, it was the familiar sound of a hand ‘running.’ 

Mono turned, looking at the room they had come through, Alle doing the same at the sound. From the darkness where the Patient stood, hands grasping at the plastic, he saw it.  

The hand from before, decayed and bone-like, emerging from the darkness.  

Alle’s light shined on it and the hand paused at the covering, seemingly wondering how to reach them. Then, it felt along the plastic, boney tips of fingers touching with nerves long gone. A second later it found the tear, lightly pushing it to confirm what it was. 

Then, it pushed it open and ran through... 

Right at them. 

Mono stepped back slightly, fuse falling from his hands, his friend beside him reaching for her sword. 

As the hand leapt for his face... 

(Credit to @AngoDrag0n for their depiction of the monster in this chapter.)

Chapter Text

Six flicked her thumb against the lighter, flame igniting and providing another, though small source of light to the dark room. They would need it, especially with the confirmation of what lurked through the halls again. 

Though it wasn’t exactly like she was that afraid. 

She had her powers, now easily able to reduce the threats that affected her down to nothing, neither her nor Stub were at risk of any pain 

Still, that didn’t mean it would be ok to become lazy in vigilance. 

So, Six kept the lighter in her hand in front of her, a defense against that which lurked in the dark. Stub kept pace behind her, fuse in hand as they slowly crept out of the freezing room. She had heard the sound of plastic rattling outside of it, though she knew they couldn’t be inside this room, as they had already gone through it. That meant the only place they could be was in the hallway they used to get here. 

Which would obviously present a problem...

They’d have to deal with it once they saw what has happening however, no sense in planning without knowing. So, they walked across the poorly lit room, guiding themselves back towards the thick steel door, glass panes around it broken. Thankfully, the glass panes were a great boon, as it allowed them to barely see down the now dark corridor. 

Which confirmed what Six guessed. 

Even though for once, she didn’t want to be right. 

The outline of figures were scattered across the wrecked hallway, varying in shape, size and number of limbs remaining, some even laying across the floor. None of them moved, remaining still like mannequins and if they had been there before, it would have been difficult to tell which were truly alive. 

Though they hadn’t, so Six knew that all of them were alive, though it did make her wonder where they came from. That wasn’t a priority however, instead their main objective was making it through them without too much trouble.  

Six’s trained and experienced eyes studied the hallway, counting at least a dozen Patients littering it, finding that most of them were gathered around the end of the hallway, whilst some were scattered around. That would make getting through the initial bit easier and the end harder, though there was still a problem. 

They didn’t have a proper sense of light. 

The lighter, whilst providing one, wasn’t exactly bright in comparison to the flashlight the others had and asking Stub if he had anything had returned a negative response. Stub however, suggested something which might work.  

Creating a torch. 

They certainly had the supplies to do it, the wooden chairs around them would make a good base and the lighter fluid she had found would make a good fuel to burn. The only problem would be longevity, as the torch wouldn’t burn for long, so they’d have to move through the hallway fast if they wanted to get by without resorting to her powers. 

So, plan in mind, they went to work. 

Finding a chair had been easy, Stub finding a stool under one of the stations that looked dry enough and wouldn’t burn too fast. The biggest had wondered at first how they were going to break it to get a stick, though Six had given him a deadpan look and told him to step aside. She had then drawn upon her power and cut the leg of the stool, splintering the wood slightly and allowing them to break it down more. 

As they did so, Stub asked if using her powers like that was wise, considering she had told them it attracted adults. Six had shook her head, explaining that it was only the act of draining souls that attracted adults sometimes, not the use of it in others ways. 

Though she didn’t exactly know why that was the case. 

Regardless, they went about breaking the wood down, creating a piece of decent length for their use. Six then withdrew the cloth she had retrieved from the Deer’s cabin all that time ago, drenching it in the lighter fluid till only a small amount remained in the tin. The rag was then wrapped around one end of the stick, pulled tightly to ensure it wouldn’t move.  

Satisfied, Six nodded at the boy, earning a nod back as the two walked over to the breach in the glass, looking it over and the Patients that lay beyond. 

They had one shot at this. 

Six took a breath, bringing the lighter up from her side and flicking it on, raising it to the end of the torch. The flame took but a moment to grab the soaked rag, eagerly consuming the fuel and setting it aflame. The yellow teen then put the lighter away, nodding to Stub before carefully going through the hole.  

The torch lit up a decent sized area around her, providing a source of light to the darkened hallway, tiles reflecting the flame. Stub followed behind her, rolling the fuse through before emerging and picking it back up. Six looked back at him for a second, before the sound of feet rapidly approaching caused her to look forward again.  

A Patient approached, rapidly moving its mismatched feet before the light finally illuminated it and the adult stopped in its tracks. Six heard Stub took a deep breath at the sight, despite not feeling any fear towards the thing, Six could understand his reaction. 

Still, they couldn’t stop now, so Six quickly ushered him on as she started to take steps forward.  

The middle brother kept a close pace behind her, fuse held tightly as he walked backwards to her, eyes locked on the adult behind them. They moved forward, another Patient ‘seeing’ them and quickly charging them. The same thing happened as before, the adult pausing as soon as it hit the edge of the light, only this time the sound of the one behind them was heard as well. 

Stub released a muted sound, Six turning to see the last bit of movement from the Patient behind them as it entered the light, hand outstretched and reaching for Stub. The muscular boy took a step back, nearly bumping into Six, who released a slight hiss, he needed to keep himself together. They resumed their pace, carefully making away around the Patient, the one from before moving closer. 

Six managed to keep the adults out of reach, before noticing that the path before them now had at least three Patients in front of them, which would making getting around them difficult.  

The Yellow Devil whispered to the boy to keep close to the wall, knowing that whilst it limited their escape options, it made keeping the adults at bay easier. The pair moved close to the right wall, walking along it and keeping the group of adults in their vision.  

A moment passed as they inched closer before the adults suddenly came to life, reaching out for them with misshapen hands, one possessing a simple two-pronged hook for a hand. Once more the torch kept them at bay, though Six saw that one of them was very close to them and blocking their way forward. The teen cursed slightly internally, before slowly making her way underneath the adult’s legs, Stub following with a nervous look up at the adult. 

Six turned her gaze back, now seeing the group of adults that were now following them. The scene brought a problem to the forefront of her mind, that being what they were to do once they reached the end of the hallway.  

The hallway had no doors to seal them off and if the lights were off everywhere now, then that meant nowhere would be safe from the malformed adults.  

A sigh passed through her lips, they’d have to deal with it once they got through this first. 

Six turned her gaze to the hallway, eyes looking at the remaining Patients they had to go around. But as she looked, she noticed something. 

One of them was missing. 

The Yellow Devil knew she hadn’t miscounted, nor did she believe that she had simply imagined one being there. 

So where was it? 

Six scanned her eyes into the darkness, looking behind her to check it wasn’t already behind them and then checking in front of them again to make sure it wasn’t hiding behind on of them. 

Neither end turned up anything and Six felt her nerves tense slightly. 

Where was it? 

The pair pushed forward, torch in hand that was slowly losing fuel, line of Patients forming behind them, as they approached the next adult. This one was one of those that had no legs, instead simply pulling itself along with its upper limbs, though it seemed time hadn’t been kind to it, as it only possessed one arm to haul itself around with. 

If it had been anything else, Six would have felt pity for it, but not for these things. 

They could rot for all she cared. 

Yet, as she made to walk around the thing, she heard something creak. 

Something above her. 

It took a second for the girl to recognize the sound, before her eyes widened as to why the sound would have been made in the first place. She stopped in her walk, raising the torch as high as she could and looking up at the ceiling. 

And sure enough, stuck to the square arrangement of tiles was the missing Patient, hook hands digging into the ceiling, whilst its legless torso hung beneath it.  

Six frowned at the sight, a small amount of annoyance coursing through her chest. Why did things here seem to always go on the ceiling? Regardless, now they needed to keep an eye on the thing now, which meant keeping her gaze away from the Patients surrounding them, making their journey a bit more difficult. 

So, Six turned to Stub, motioning to the adult above them and earning a nod from him. The Yellow Devil then set off again, eyes focused on the adult above her, whilst the boy behind her kept his gaze focused on the congregation of adults follow them, shambling and twisted pace keeping with theirs.  

The adult above them followed, hooks digging into the tiles above them, swinging its torso from perch to perch. Six felt her eyes narrow at the sight, usually these things were completely mindless, attacking anything that got too close and never waiting for anything. 

So why was this one not attacking? 

Six then heard the middle brother whisper to her, eyes drifting to him as he gestured to the hallway before them. There were only a few adults left now to get by, though unfortunately one of them was pressed up against the wall, bandaged head resting on it and immobile. Six felt a mental sigh pass through her head, nothing was ever simple was it? 

The teen nodded, glancing at where the adult was before walking around it, eyes still focused on the ceiling-walking adult, as it still kept pace with them, still not acting against them. They made it around the adult without issue, the adult only managing to turn its head to look at them before it was frozen. 

They were close now, the hallway nearly ending into the split of three and only two adults that kept them from seeing it. The last two stood either side of the hall, standing like two statues guarding something and if they stayed still, Six would gamble that some would have though that. But instead, they moved towards them with hostile intent, stopped once more with the torch, light illuminating the misshapen plastic. 

Six also noticed something about the Patients as she looked at them, something she couldn’t have noticed before because she lacked the ability to do so. 

It was their souls. 

The teen wasn’t entirely sure what they were in reality, never having delved too far into the very nature of her powers to understand them, only exploring them in the capacity of using them to aid her. But she did know the obvious, every living thing had a soul and needed it to live, to move, without it they died instantly. She had seen it countless times, nearly all at her own hands, yet the adults before her and the Abomination from weeks ago, challenged that idea. 

With regards to the Patients, they did HAVE souls, but something was off about them... 

And that something was that they were leaking out of them. 

Six could see it, the strange liquid that souls seemed to be made out of, slowly pouring out of the adults and running down them, seeming to flow back into them. Now, Six had seen something like this before, having seen adults in the Eastern north that reassembled living corpses, souls exposed and moving around at a sluggish pace. 

But they weren’t like this, souls seemingly leaking out and coating their outsides, somehow not rushing out in such way that killed them. The sight made Six wonder, was this why they couldn’t move in the light? She wasn’t sure. 

Still, that didn’t matter, what did matter was getting past them and away from them. 

So, they made to go in-between them, Stub keeping his eyes focused on them as the adult above them kept following.  

Six saw the broken doors that led into the connoting hallway become barely visible, the corner that needed to be turned. 

But then, something pierced the air, reverberating off the walls and creating a cacophony that shook the ears. It was a distant sound, one that seemed far away, yet still caried the same meaning and message as it echoed down the hallway. 

Screaming. 

But not just any screaming. 

It was the screaming of someone they knew, crying out for help... 

Netty. 

Stub’s eyes widened, fear becoming his blood as he heard the sound and nearly dropping the fuse. 

“Netty...?!” He exclaimed, voice but a whisper but still filled with dread, as he took steps in front of Six. The teen quickly grabbed the boy’s shoulder, affixing him with a look of disbelief, what did he think he was doing? They couldn't just- 

The boy turned, looking at Six with a panicked look in his eyes, gesturing wildly to the corner, wanting to see what was happening. But Six simply shook her head, they couldn’t just charge in without knowing what was going on, even with what they heard. 

Stub clearly wasn’t happy though, as he shrugged off Six’s hand and made to step forward, Six leaning after him. Then, she saw movement above her and Six knew what it meant. 

So, acting quickly, she threw the torch to the ground and ran for Stub. Six pushed him out the way, fuse falling from his hands as he stumbled forward. 

Just in time to avoid the adult that came crashing down from the ceiling. 

It landed with a loud thud, plastic banging against the tiled floor, as the Patient lay there for but a second. The torch on the ground was next to it, its flame slowly being smothered by the adult that had landed on it. Another beat passed before the sound of the Patients from before suddenly became more apparent. 

They needed to run and quick. 

Six quickly ran over to the boy, hauling him and pointing to the fuse, Stub giving a quick nod as he picked it up. They quickly ran, the sound of the adult’s stopping for but a moment as they came into contact with the light from the dying torch. 

The pair turned the corner, coming face to face with the collapsed doors and jumping over them, finally entering the main hallway with the three pathways.  

A choice now had to be made, as they needed to decide where to go. Six knew they had heard Netty scream from here, but they didn’t know where he had gone, or why he had screamed in the first place. As such, they needed to find out what had happened, meaning they had to find Mono’s group. 

Choice made, Six pointed to the hallway the others had gone down, Stub nodding and following quickly.  

Just as the sound of plastic limbs moving was heard again. 

Despite the situation they were in, Six for once wasn’t worried about herself. 

So, as she ran, Six let her mind think, knowing the first question she would have for her former friend. 

If they could find him.

Mono felt time stop for but a moment as the hand leapt for him. 

That was only for a moment however, as he stepped to the side to avoid the attack. 

He wasn’t the same kid anymore and as such, he wasn’t going to be taken out by a hand of all things. 

Even if his heart hammered in his chest at the sight of the thing...

The hand recovered quickly from its missed attack, boney fingers righting itself and allowing it to skitter again. Mono prepped himself, knowing that the hand would either run away or attack again. The hand chose the former, scuttling away under one of the desks and disappearing from sight.  

A few seconds passed as Mono looked out into the darkness of the room, the sound of creaking bones and the adult behind him attempting to get in filling the air. Then, from the darkness the hand struck, racing towards him with murderous intent. 

Mono watched as it got closer, hands clenching and unclenching as he hid. The got within the radius of the light put out from the fuse before it finally decided to leap, the boney fingers reaching out for him again. The teen reacted once more, stepping aside as it leapt for him, fingers barely touching his jacket. The hand once more fell to the ground and Mono felt his eyes jerk around in the room in a panic, he needed a weapon, something to smash the hand with... 

Smash it till all its bones broke. 

Smash it till it was nothing but paste.  

Smash it till it couldn’t hurt him again. 

But something both he and the hand forgot, was that he wasn’t the only person present and furthermore, there was a weapon nearby. 

It's just that he wasn’t holding it. 

Though that didn’t matter, as the weapon was thrusted forward, blade meeting the flesh of the decayed hand. Alle's sword pierced the hand with ease, its flesh offering no resistance in its given state and allowing the girl to pin the hand to the floor. The hand writhed on the floor as it was suddenly wounded, rotting and rancid blood spilling out form the wound in its palm. 

The hand spasmed once more, fingers trying to remove the blade from itself, boney fingers scrapping off the metal blade. Alle however, didn’t let up and instead twisted the blade in the wound, causing more of the flesh to tear and more rotting blood to pour out. Another spasm came from the hand, fingers now trying to push itself off the ground and up the blade, perhaps in some vain attempt to reach the girl. 

Alle responded by simply twisting the blade again, the sound of something snapping coming from the hand. Another small spasm came from the action, fingers once more reaching for the blade before becoming limp, twitching slightly as they did.  

The hand slowly receded on itself, fingers folding like that of a spider dying, as its movement became still and rigor mortis set in. Alle didn’t let up however, keeping the blade in the flesh for at least a minute before she finally took a deep breath and stood slightly straighter. 

Alle then turned to Mono, who had been watching with surprised eyes, her gaze switching from one of focus to one of sarcastic disbelief as she gestured to the hand. Mono felt a combination of relief, disbelief and embarrassment course through him, eyes tracking back to the hand that now laid still. Was it really that easy to get rid of them? Had this thing really been what kept him up for years after he encountered them, nightmares plaguing him? 

It made him feel... weak. 

His self-reflection was interrupted by the sound of plastic tearing behind him, both him and Alle turning to the sound, suddenly remembering they weren’t alone.  

The Amalgamation was still there and was now tearing the plastic covering from its place, multiple limbs making the task easier as it ripped it like paper. Realization occurred in both their eyes, Alle looking to the flashlight she had dropped dealing with the hand and quickly racing over to pick it back up and stop the Patient. 

Unfortunately, she wasn’t fast enough. 

A loud sound of plastic and fabric ripping coursed through the air, the plastic covering thrown across the room and covering the flashlight before she could reach it, skidding to a halt at the edge of it. The adult paused once it completed its task, multiple appendages twitching for a second, as if deciding what to do. 

Then, it twitched again, its masked face locking onto Alle and leaning forward... 

Before suddenly running at her. 

Alle reacted quickly, feet bracing themselves as the adult charged her. The Patient reached out for her, two sets of arms with plastic fingers and hooks reaching out to snatch her up. Alle moved quickly, dodging into the adult with a roll. Hands desperately reached for the bodyguard, though dexterity was something that the Amalgamation had lost with its many arms. 

Another thing that it had lost with the additional weight and unevenness of the arms, was a good sense of balance. As such, as the adult attempted to grasp the girl, it found itself toppling over, limbs flying out in surprise. It crashed into the tiled floor with a bang, limbs laying still for but a moment, giving Mono time to run over to the plastic in an attempt to retrieve the torch. 

The boy pulled at the plastic covering, hands desperately pulling it away and revealing the flashlight. Mono then heard the sound of plastic limbs rapidly shifting, out of the corner of his eye, seeing the multiple limbs of the adult place themselves on the ground.  

Mono felt his eyes widen, watching as the adult started to use the additional limbs like legs, seeming more now like a spider. The teen moved quickly, reaching for the torch, whilst Alle made to swing at the adult. The adult however, moved and jumped over the girl, landing opposite to Mono. The bag-headed boy jumped back in surprise, not expecting the adult to move with such speed. 

The adult reached out for him with a limb, Mono managing to avoid the grasping hand before another one swiftly followed up, fingers wrapping around the teen’s body. Mono felt his arms pinned to his side as he struggled to break free from the things grasp, the plastic fingers not budging. The boy then heard a shout from Alle, his friend standing there with her sword clasped in two hands.  

Another series of twitches emerged from the Amalgamation, body turning to Alle, as it lifted the limb holding him above itself. The bodyguard readied herself, the Patient seeming to do the same as it placed its multiple limbs across the tiled floor. 

The air became tense, neither moving as they held their stances, the only sign of life from Alle being the heavy rising of her chest. 

Then, the adult twitched, ready to strike.... 

Then it promptly started squirming, once something flew past Alle’s head and pierced the adult’s fake face.  

It bucked and kicked its multiple limbs, pain seeming to course through its body, despite its face being a simple mask. In its spasms of pain, it forgot about Mono, dropping the boy and letting gravity claim him. Mono fell for but a second before hitting the ground, pain ricocheting up his back again, the fall from earlier not helping in the slightest. 

He couldn’t lay on the ground however, not with that thing still kicking, ready to crush him. So, the teen quickly rose, pain intensifying in his back, yet managing to ignore it in favor of walking over to his friend. As he did, his gaze caught the sight of figures moving from the hallway into the room, ones he was familiar with and undoubtedly containing the one who had saved him. 

Six and Stub. 

The pair of them wore faces of exertion, panting heavily and lips looking dry. Stub looked uncharacteristically afraid, his eyes darting rapidly to both him and Alle, seemingly looking for something. 

Or someone... 

Six meanwhile, wore the same emotionless mask she always had, except this time her eyes were narrowed dangerously, a threat of something in her eyes. 

When he noticed her, his eyes darted back to the thrashing adult, seeing that despite it clawing at its face, there was nothing there that left the cracks along it. 

Except a liquid-like smoke that dissipated in the air...

Mono narrowed his eyes at the sight, knowing it was a sign that Six had used her powers, yet wondering why she had bothered to use them to save him. The question would have to remain unanswered however, as the adult ceased its struggling and instead focused on them again. 

More specifically, its eyeless gaze landed on Six. 

The teen in question merely readied herself, arm straightening back, shadow already pooling in her palm. The Patient seemed to twitch at the sight, fingers coiling themselves on the ground like springs. Then, the Yellow Devil shot her hand forth, the shadow shooting out like a sticky black web to grasp the thing’s soul. 

However, the Amalgamation didn’t remain still at the attack, instead suddenly jumping to the side with a lot of power from many arms. Six raised her eyebrows in surprise at the response, she could count on one hand the number of adults that had avoided her powers and she didn’t much appreciate adding another one on to the hand. 

So, she quickly brought her other arm back, readying the shadow again and thrusting it forward. The adult reacted again, though instead of jumping to the side like before it instead leaped upwards. Six followed it up as it did, watching as the thing crashed into the ceiling, tiles bending upwards from the sheer force of the leap. Then, the creature dug into the ceiling with its multiple limbs, the extra hands allowing it to support its full weight. 

Six felt herself frown; did everything like to stick to the ceiling here?  

No matter, she’d simply bring it down. 

However, it seemed the adult had a different idea to the one Six had, as it suddenly started to crawl towards the doorway along the ceiling. Six felt her eyes widen at the sight, was this adult... running away? 

That never happened before and even if it was, she wasn’t letting it get away. 

She quickly formed her shadow into a bladed wave, quickly throw it in an arc at the escaping adult. The teen had aimed for the adult's center mass, wanting to sever its spine or at least cause major damage to its back. Unfortunately, the additional limbs grafted onto the Patients back were in the way and as such, acted like an unintentional shield. 

The shadow sliced through one of the forearms of the limbs, causing it to fall to the ground with a loud bang, whilst the adult above stumbled slightly from the sudden loss of a limb. It did not stop though and instead continued running away, slipping through the doorway and into the hallway.  

A hallway that was becoming filled with the sounds of rapidly approaching plastic. 

Six felt her eyes quickly switching to Stub, hissing at him to help her close the doors, the brother nodding as he dropped the fuse. Six quickly grabbed onto one of the wooden doors, Stub grabbing the other as they pushed them back into position. The yellow-clad teen then heard feet run up behind her, finding Mono now assisting her in closing the door, out of the corner of her eye seeing Alle doing the same with stub. 

Despite not knowing why they were wanting the doors to be shut, it was clear from their urgency in closing the doors that something bad was coming.  

They slowly pushed the doors closed, Six seeing as the doors finally came to be shut, the emergence of the Patients chasing them rounding the corner. 

And judging by the way Mono took a sharp breath, so did he. 

Thankfully, they managed to close the door in time, the sound of the Patients footsteps echoing down the hallway, yet none approached the doors to open them.  

Six heard Mono take a deep breath beside her, turning to find him placing a hand over his chest from apparent fear. Six however, didn’t care and instead grabbed his shoulder and forced him to look at her, the bag-headed teen suddenly finding himself facing her eyes of interrogation. 

The teen looked surprised for a second from the look, before it settled into a glare as he separated her hand from his shoulder. Despite the glare, he understood what Six was asking. 

What had happened? 

Mono went to answer, before he stopped and looked back at the door, his eyes narrowing. He then began to walk away from the door, gesturing for them to follow as he walked over to the opposite side of the room. Clearly, he didn’t feel comfortable nor safe talking when the Patients were only separated by a door and wanted some distance between them. 

They went to the opposite side, Six seeing the clear signs of a small battle, if the torn plastic sheet and dead hand were anything to go by. She also saw as they walked past the hand how Mono gave it a glare and despite the mask, she could tell his face was pulled back into a snarl. 

Cleary, he still hated the things. 

The boy then brought them under one of the desks in the room, looking around before nodding at them. 

Silence filled the air for a second, questions buzzing through their minds that needed answers. Stub however, asked the first one, as it needed to be answered. 

“Boss... Where’s Netty?” He asked, voice low and filled with dread. 

Mono took a deep breath, eyes briefly flickering over to the door before he answered. “We were running from that Patient that you saw and... scared off.” He started, his eyes gazing at Six for a moment at the last part. 

“Netty ran ahead so we could get the fuse out before it reached us, he was only maybe a second ahead of us.” 

“Then, we followed through and he’s gone...” He explained, pointing to the doorway. 

“And then I saw an adult, carrying someone down the hallway.”  

Stub’s eyes filled with more fear, gaze lingering on Mono before it slowly drifted to the ground. Six however, lifted an eyebrow at the boy’s explanation. 

The Yellow Devil pointed down the hallway they had come down. “That hallway?” She asked, disbelief in her features. “We came down that hallway, we didn’t see any adult.” 

Mono tilted his head at her, eyes narrowing. “What do you mean? That was the way we saw it go.” He turned to Alle. “Right?” 

Alle nodded, turning her gaze to Six. “You sure you didn’t see anything?”  

Stub answered her instead of Six. “No, we only heard... screaming.” He stated, shaking his head. 

The bag-headed teen pushed his lips at that. “But we saw it go that way, so where could it have...” He trailed off, words hanging in the air as he thought.  

Six thought on what the boy had said, if they hadn’t seen the adult come down the hallway they had just come through, then where was it? The air was silent for a second, as the group pondered the question with nervous energy. 

Alle was the one who answered the question finally, eyes lighting up with realization.  

“Wasn’t there another set of doors? Maybe it took Netty down there?” She proposed, hands gesturing to the hallway. 

Mono pondered the explanation. “It would explain why you didn’t see them...” He said, eyes briefly flickering over to Six, who narrowed her gaze slightly. 

Stub nodded his head at them. “We have to go then.” He declared, turning to the door to move, but was stopped by Alle placing a hand on his shoulder. 

“Easy Stub... We can’t just go there, not with all those adults in the hallway.” She stated, nodding her head to the door. The brother sagged his shoulders slightly, fist clenching in silent desperation of the situation.  

Six however, simply watched and scoffed slightly, turning to Mono.  

“Do you still have that flashlight?” She asked, eyes reverting to the hidden emotionless pools.  

Mono turned, his gaze becoming questioning and suspicious. “Yes...? Why are you asking?”  

Six turned, walking over to the door. “Because the longer we take getting through there, the more likely Netty’s dead.” She stated, her final words coming out harsh and making Stub flinch. 

The leader narrowed his eyes more. “And how do you suggest we get through there quickly?” He asked. 

The Yellow Devil stopped at the door, slowly turning her hooded head and raising her hand, the entire appendage surrounded by shadow already. Mono leaned his head back in surprise, knowing what the use of her powers could entail and she was willing to use them now? 

Six turned back from her former friend. 

Yes, she was. 

The Yellow Devil was tired of the running, she had enough of that  

Now, it was time to live up to her legend...

Alle had seen a lot of things. 

She had seen kids get ripped half, she had seen them eaten alive and skinned, from head to toe. She had seen things that could make the mind spin, things that made no sense to how the world should work. She had seen friends she cherished die within seconds, things she had built, crumble with ease. 

All had seen a lot, more than perhaps what she should have. 

But she didn’t care, because seeing those things was better than others dying, or her. 

But this? 

This was new, even to her. 

The bodyguard made her way around the now decorated hallway, avoiding touching the things that now made it difficult to navigate. The ‘things’ in question were bodies, the bodies of what both her friend and Six called ‘Patients’. 

Six... 

She was the one who did this, this massacre of monstrous and malformed adults. Now, Alle didn’t care about the adults, far from it, she hated them same as every other kid. But the sheer amount that the girl had killed? Within such a short time frame? 

It made her nearly feel bad for the adults. 

The girl in yellow had instructed them to use the torch they had to keep the adults at bay, whilst she dealt with the adults in the hallway. Of course, that brought a sense of unease to them, Mono especially arguing with the girl, telling her there was no way she could deal with that many and didn’t trust any idea she proposed. 

Six had responded by glaring at him, eyes glinting dangerously in a way that even she found unnerving. The girl promptly asked him with a slightly annoyed tone if he had any ideas regarding getting through the hallway, reminding him that they would hound them anywhere they went and this way, they could remove them permanently. 

Alle could certainly see the truth in the girl’s words, though she had doubted that the girl could actually get rid of that many adults, even after she had seen the girl’s powers. Mono still seemed unsure of the idea, asking how she could know that she could deal with many and what she proposed if she failed. 

The girl had merely scoffed at that, saying it wouldn't fail and that if he wouldn’t do it, then she’d just get Stub or her to, even though Alle didn’t want to go against his wishes. Her friend still seemed conflicted, however, when the girl leaned in and whispered something in his ear that made him flinch slightly, before he had sighed and agreed. 

Alle couldn’t know for sure, but she was certain she had a hunch on what the girl had said. 

After that, the pair of them had set off to the doors, Mono instructing her and Stub to pull them open whilst they dealt with the adults. They had done as he asked, pulling them apart, whilst Mono turned the light on in preparation. 

The light had revealed the hallway, adults still present, turning slightly before some of them were frozen in the light, others still unmoving and unaware of their presence. Six had then stepped forward, gaze lingering on the plastic things.  

Then, the girl took a glance back at them for a second, something glinting in her eyes before she turned back to the Patients and raising her hand. The appendage filled with the liquid shadow that Alle had seen before, dripping from the teen’s hand like thick blood. 

A moment passed. 

Then, the girl had thrown the hand out, shadow shooting out like a web and piercing the chest of the nearest adult. Despite the light shining on it, the thing had twitched, as if what the girl had done was so terrible that it tried to escape it. 

Six had merely twisted her hand slightly, the adult ceasing in its twitching before she pulled it back. The shadow came back with her, pulling out... something. It looked like someone had literally peeled the shadow off the adult, its appearance like that of the Patient, yet slightly exaggerated. The shadow then entered the girl, flowing into her chest and disappearing completely. 

The group was silent at the sight, no one moving nor talking from what they had seen. It was then interrupted by the adult suddenly tipping forward like a tree, legs giving out with nothing left to animate it. 

It crashed into the ground with a bang, all of them except Six backing off, the girl simply remaining where she was as it landed a mere inch from her. They stared at the now dead adult for a few seconds, broken by the sound of the Patients in front of them moving again, since Mono had backed up.  

Mono had quickly rectified his mistake, moving forward to shine the light down the hallway, the adults aware of them once more stopping. Six had then nodded at him, before stepping forward, hand raised once more. 

Then, she had gone to work, repeating what she had done to all of the adults, each one falling one by one. 

Which led to the now body filled hallway she had just walked through. 

Alle gave it a final glance as they walked around the corner, seeing the pile of bodies the girl had left in her wake.  

It was... unnerving to say the least, even for her. 

Still, she wouldn’t say they didn’t deserve it. 

Alle then redirected her attention to following the others, as they quickly walked back into the hallway and the other pair of doors they had seen before. The group had remained still at it for but a moment, before Mono gestured to Stub to help open it.  

The both of them walked over to it, placing their hands on the door and pushing. Except, it didn't move and instead remained stationary, uncaring of their strength. Mono looked up at the door, eyes widening slightly. 

“It’s locked...” He whispered out, fist clenching slightly. 

That caused Alle to frown, if this was the way the adult had carried Netty, how were they supposed to get to him?  

A loud bang was then heard, causing her to jump as she turned to see that Stub had slammed his fist against the door, head hung low. He then raised his fist again, pounding it on the door, creating another bang that echoed in the hallway. He then made to raise it again, but Mono grabbed his hand, making the boy stop and turn to Mono. 

The boy’s calm face was nowhere to be seen, instead replaced by a sorrow filled mess, eyes filled with true fear and regret, the kind that reduced anyone to a dribbling mess. Mono’s eyes softened at the boy, opening his arms and bringing the boy into a hug. Stub didn’t cry against her friend’s shoulder, but his body did wrack with small trembles. 

Alle frowned at the sight, her mood becoming downcast as she looked at the door again. There had to be a way to get inside, the lock couldn’t be that tough, especially since it was just the door that needed the key. 

The bodyguard paused at that last thought. 

Key... 

Her eyes widened, realization occurring and turning to Mono. 

“Mono!” She called, getting her friend’s attention. 

“The supply closest has keys, remember?” She stated, causing the teen’s eyes to widen behind his mask. 

Mono turned from her nodding his head slowly, whilst Six looked at them with a raised eyebrow. 

“You think one of them could be for the door?” Mono asked, his features narrowing behind his mask. 

Stub turned to her friend. “We have to try... right?” He pleaded, voice filled with hope and fear. 

Mono turned to him for a second, looking the boy over before looking back at Alle and nodding. She nodded back, turning to leave and run back to the closet before remembering something. 

They didn’t have the rope. 

She cursed inwardly, they couldn’t reach the cabinet with the keys inside without it and Alle doubted that any of the others had any. Alle thought on the problem, turning her head slowly, her gaze landing on Six. 

Then, she had an idea. 

Alle ran up to the girl, the hooded girl turning to her with a blank face. 

“Six, can you use your powers to grab things?” She asked, eyes looking at her hopefully. 

The Yellow Devil nodded. 

Alle smiled, grabbing the girl’s hand and dragging her forward, the girl releasing a sound of protest. 

“Then I need your help with getting the keys.” 

The bodyguard then proceeded to drag the girl to the supply closet, shouting back to the other two for them to get a chair or something to reach the lock. 

After a while she had let go of the girl, Six threatening to harm her if she didn’t, Alle complying and leading her to the sheet covered room. They passed through the filth covered room, Alle pulling her face up at the smell again, whilst the raincoat clad girl didn’t even react to the room.  

They finally reached the closest after a minute of running, Alle pointing to the box with the keys inside, Six nodding her head. Within a minute, the teen had pulled the keys from their hooks, the two of them each carrying their share. 

The two of them then raced back fast as they could with the heavy keys, entering the hallway again and finding that Mono and Stub had found a chair and dragged it to the door, her friend quickly ushering her to pass him the keys. The two of them complied, having brought five keys in total, laying them on the chair as Mono picked up the first one and inserting it into the lock. 

It simply clicked, not moving any further. 

No matter, they still had four more, as Mono threw the first one to the side. 

He inserted the next one, the same sound playing and resulting in it being thrown as well. Alle found herself growing slightly anxious, it was going to be the last key wasn’t it? Wasting more time then was needed, when right now Netty could be- 

‘Clung’ 

The sound of the lock turning was heard, revealing that the third key had been the one, Mono smiling under his mask as he spun it all the way.  

Alle found herself slightly surprised, she honestly hadn’t expected that. 

Still, she wasn’t complaining and instead quickly raced over to help Stub push the door open. 

The door flew open with more force than needed, banging slightly against the tiled walls that were the same as the rest. Stub however, didn’t care and instead began to run ahead, desperately searching for Netty. The others followed after him, easily catching up to the boy as he ran. However, because of this, only one of them noticed the sign on the wall, a sign that they knew meant nothing good. 

PLEASE BE QUIET WHEN OBSERVING IN THE OPERATING THEATER, THANK YOU.  

Six knew those words weren’t good. 

Still, she focused on running, knowing that regardless of what she had read, they needed to act fast.  

They ran for a few more seconds, their feet pattering against the tiled floor. Barely functional lights flickering above them. Then, they finally encountered another set of doors, large glass windows sitting on the top, hand prints made of blood pressed against the its surface. 

From an adult... 

And inside, they could hear the sound of movement, plastic clicking and... 

Humming? 

The last sound was unexpected, yet despite that Stub made to move, wanting to get inside and see if he could find his brother. Six stopped him however, placing a hand on his shoulder and shaking her head. Stub turned, a desperate look in his eyes, Six simply responding by pointing at the other entranceway to the right. 

It was a set of stairs, going upwards with another set opposite them. On the side of each of them was a sign reading.  

STAIRS TO OBSERVATION SEATS.  

Stub realized what she was getting at nodding along with the others, as they began to climb the steps. It took a few seconds for them to reach the top, the stairs being much steeper than others and forcing them to nearly jump to climb them.  

They reached the top finally, revealing a large space filled with worn leather chairs, each one bolted to the floor of concrete. All of the chairs were positioned to face the center, revealing large glass windows that were angled downwards slightly. They rotated around it, forming a hexagon-like shape around the glass center, the chairs numbering at least a hundred. 

The sight was slightly strange to all of them, yet they didn’t stop to gaze and instead, quickly ran over to the chairs closest to the windows and quickly climbed on them. They then finally looked down into the room with the humming, revealing it and the cause of the sound. 

An adult stood in the center of the room with their back to them, the rooms interior unusually clean compared to the rest of the Hospital, tiles nearly spotless and the light pouring down into it surprisingly bright. All around the room were trollies, each filled with medical equipment, some of it clean and some of it drenched in blood and other matter. 

In each corner, a few Patients stood, none of them knowing if they were alive or dead, unmoving with the light above them shining down. 

The adults themselves was unusually slim, not thin but still slimmer than either the Viewers or patients. They wore a long black robe over their body, hiding their legs and arms completely, the latter appendages moving as they worked on something. The back of its head was bald and surprisingly clean, the flesh squished slightly from the straps wrapped around it that kept its mask on. The mask itself couldn’t be seen, yet it appeared massive, black in colour and giant eyeholes to see. 

Its most strange feature however, was the two extra arms coming from its back. They were like those of the Patients plastic ones, clicking as they handed tools to the other hands. They were different however, in their colouration, being completely white and contrasting the black robes. 

The adult hummed as it worked, a tune that sounded surprisingly calm, despite the apparent bloody work it was doing as it placed another gore-drenched scalpel down.  

Six turned to Mono, nodding her head at the adult, asking if it was the one that had taken Netty. The teen nodded back, knowing when he had seen it walk down the hallway how its physique was different. His attention then switched when they heard the adult seemingly sigh, a noise that was uncommon for adults to make. 

It seemed... dissatisfied with something. 

The adult placed down another tool, revealing a bloodied gloved hand that was quickly pulled off, further revealing wrinkled pale hands. The hand wandered over to a trolly, picking up a pen before writing down something in an old looking book, pages slightly faded.  

Then, it leaned down slightly, allowing the one of the extra arms to reach down and pick up something. The hand pulled itself back up, revealing what it was, as blood trickled down the arm. 

A corpse, a bloodied child's corpse...

Torn, cut open, blood everywhere, eyes gone and any semblance of character removed. 

A gasp left three of their mouths, the most potent of them being Stub, who watched as the adult walked over to a trash can, removing the lid with one real hand... 

Revealing Netty’s backpack within it... 

And dropping the corpse in. 

Like it was nothing. 

There was total silence. 

Then, it was broken by the sound of Stub breaking down. 

He fell into himself, a sob leaving him as he stared at his own hands, tears leaking from his eyes. Then, he started to bawl, the sound low, yet the emptiness of the room amplified it, echoing around. The others quickly broke out of their stupor. Alle wrapping herself around his torso, whilst Mono placed a hand on his mouth, both of them knowing that despite his grief, they couldn’t do anything now, nor was it helpful. 

Yet Six knew it was already too late. 

The adult span itself around quickly, revealing the large black goggles of its mask that covered its eyes. The mask was nearly flat in construction, appearing plastic, yet it shined like metal as it looked up at the glass. 

Six ducked her head, turning to the others and hissing for them to move. 

Mono briefly looked at her before looking at Stub, trying to get him to move, yet the brother was completely dead, lost to his pain. Six pulled her face back into a frown, turning to look back at the room below. 

Only to see an empty room... 

And the sound of footsteps echoing towards them. 

Six turned, facing the top of the stairwell, shadow leaking out of her. 

Despite her advantage, Six had a feeling... 

That whatever happened next, wasn’t going to be pleasant. 

For anyone involved... 

Chapter Text

Six felt the others behind her stiffen, the sound of footsteps approaching a clear sign of what was coming.  

She knew they couldn’t run, not with Stub in his current, unresponsive condition. As such, the only option for them, was to either hide or to fight. 

And Six was tired of hiding. 

So, she readied herself, shadow consuming her entire right arm and eager to consume the adult that came up the stairs. Another second passed, another few steps were heard echoing up to them, before finally the head of the adult came into view, revealing more of itself as it climbed.  

The front of the robe was revealed to be open, draping down to its knees and revealing black pants that looked more rugged in appearance. The adult also wore a white shirt underneath the robes, appearing quite stylish and puffy, like one of those posters Six had seen a couple of years back. 

It stomped to the top of the stairs, gaze searching for but a second before darkened lenses found them. The adult stared at them for a few seconds, head tilting in seeming curiosity. Then, it began to walk sideways to them observing, waiting. 

Patiently. 

That was unlike adults and Six knew that any adult that could think like that was dangerous. It didn’t matter to her though. 

She was dangerous too. 

The adult stopped its staring and instead began to move towards them at an increased pace, hands at its side, whilst the two above folded themselves behind its back. Its steps were slow, as if taking its time to get to them, as if it sensed no need in running to get them. 

Six scoffed internally, did this monster really think it could challenge her? 

Especially after what it had done? 

The masked adult took another step, one that Six felt was close enough, as she threw her hand out towards the adult. The shadow once more lunged, entering into its chest and into the ethereal place inside that housed the soul.  

Six felt the shadow grasp the thing that animated life, beginning to pull it out of the thing's chest. The Surgeon of death became still, as the thing that kept it alive was pulled from its very body. 

But then, Six heard something. 

Something behind her... 

Something that clicked and clacked together with a plastic beat. 

Six turned her head quickly, seeing that the others had done the same, trying to locate the sound. The poorly lit room revealed little, yet Six could see what it was. It was the Patient from before, the one with too many limbs, scuttling across the ceiling at a rapid pace towards them. 

Towards her. 

Her eyes widened slightly, now wasn’t the best time for the Patient to be attacking her. Unfortunately, beggars couldn't be choosers, as such Six was forced to let go of the Surgeon’s soul, the thing stuck halfway in and out of the creature.  

The soul snapped back into the adult, unmoving still, as it attempted to get its bearing again. Six meanwhile, turned her attention to the Patient that crawled across the ceiling, watching as Mono and Alle attempted to drag Stub away from the conflict and keep him safe.  

Six felt the shadowy power creep up her arm once more, ready to throw it at the adult that ‘ran’ towards her. However, she stopped herself once she heard the sound of the adult move behind her, clearly recovered from her attempt to drain its soul. Instead, Six chose to quickly make her way under the seats next to her, trying to create distance between her and the adults. 

Unfortunately, something Six forgot to consider, was that he adult above her had nearly no sense of pain nor fear of it.  

As such, she was surprised when the adult threw itself off the ceiling and crashed into the chairs she had just crawled under. The chairs were nearly torn from their positions the concrete, bolts nearly giving way and sending them flying. They had held, but the sheer force of the Amalgamation crashing into them sent the Yellow Devil crashing into the ground, arms scraping against the concrete.  

The teen quickly recovered from the fall, not looking back as she rolled herself along the ground, plastic hand reaching where she had been. 

She knew they would try that. 

Six then heard the sound of the masked adult approaching, out of the corner of her eye seeing it walk briskly towards her. She snarled internally, she needed time to prep her powers, she couldn’t just use them without concentration. 

She then heard the adult behind her move again, looking back to see its hands reaching out to grab her. They stopped however, fingers inches away from her. Six didn’t question why, instead running under the adult and to the other side, as she did, noticing why it had stopped.  

Mono...

He was stood in the first line of chairs, standing atop them and shining the flashlight down at the adult, eyes hardened behind his mask. Six raised an eyebrow at the sight, why was he helping her? Didn't he want her dead? 

Her eyes looked past him, trying to see where Stub and Alle were, but seeing nothing. They must have gotten away, more than likely it had been Alle telling the boy to go back and help her. She felt like scoffing, since when did she need help? 

Still, she didn’t focus on it, she needed to create more distance between them. However, something the two of them forgot was the fact that the Surgeon wasn’t a Patient and as such, wasn’t stopped by the light. Which is why, when it saw that Mono was stopping the plastic man from moving, it decided to go after him. 

The Surgeon moved forward, placing a foot on the chair in front of it and unfurling its arms from its back. Then, the adult vaulted off the chair, hands shooting into the ceiling and gripping into it and swinging itself across the room.  

Mono felt his eyes widen at the sight, not expecting the adult to move that quickly nor with that much agility. The adult landed in front of the boy, tilting its head at the teen for a second before its hand shot out, gloved fingers wrapping around him. The flashlight fell from his hands, Mono trying to struggle against the adult’s grip, though it was hopeless to do so. 

Six felt annoyance creep up her, could this boy do nothing for himself? She brought the shadow up her arm, intending to fire the shadow at the adult. However, upon hearing the sound of the flashlight hitting the ground, she stopped herself.  

Without the light shining behind her, that meant the adult would be... 

The Yellow Devil threw herself forward, instincts screaming at her to do so, to avoid what she knew was coming. Unfortunately, the Amalgamation had more hands than what anything reasonably should have and as such, despite avoid the first couple of hands, the ones that followed up managed to grasp her. 

Six felt her arms pinned to her side, engulfed in a sea of plastic that threatened to crush her to a bloodied mess. The Patient brought her to its white mask face, eyeless and unliving sockets looking at her, as if knowing it was her that caused the crack along its surface.  

It began to squeeze her, plastic unyielding as it put pressure on her. Six felt her sides scream in agony, her injured side, although healed, still burned with pain at the sudden force. The adult kept squeezing, Six feeling the breath leave her lungs, knowing that soon her body would give out from the lack of air. 

Six knew that passing out before she was crushed was a much easier way to go. 

But then, a sound pierced the air, one that was made by the forming of lips and air. 

A whistle. 

The sound was not of kids however, yet it still carried the same meaning. 

To get one’s attention. 

Six felt the adult loosen its pressure on her, taking a breath of air when it did. She then raised her head, looking at the source and finding it to be the robed adult, staring at the Patient with an expectant posture. 

The Patient began to walk over to it, clambering over the chairs with a hesitance, as Six continued to struggle in its grip. Finally, the Amalgamation reached the Surgeon, slowly rising to its feet again and presenting Six.  

Six stopped her struggling, looking up at the masked adult with a hateful glare, whilst the adult leaned down, Mono still in its grasp and struggling like her. The Surgeon tilted its head, one lens looking at her, the eye behind it unviewable even with the proximity. Yet Six knew what it was doing, something that she knew adults hardly ever did. 

It was observing her, studying her, like she was something interesting. 

Something to be cut open... 

Like Netty. 

Six felt a tinge of anger build up at the thought, how would the others react? Hearing that the youngest had died? 

… 

How would Renny react? 

The oldest would undoubtedly be lost to despair, knowing that his brother had been killed in such a cruel and prolonged way, one that even Six would fear. 

It made something inside her twist and burn at the same time, anger yet something else rise up in her that she didn't know how to deal with. She hated it, yet at the same time she hated the adult before her more, which made the feeling inside her grow, as if it wanted her to hate it. 

So, she would. 

The adult seemed to finish its observations, releasing a sound that sounded like a hum before standing straight again, this time raising the other teen in its hand to eye level. Like it had done to her the adult tilted its head, observing the boy like he was an interesting and fascinating thing to look at, but not like how one would look at a living creature. 

Like one would look at a corpse. 

The Surgeon then lowered the unbloodied plastic arm on its back towards the boy, reaching out to grasp the bag covering his face. Mono struggled against the hold of the adult, trying his best to keep his masked face away from the fellow masked one.  

But try as he might, the adult simply grasped him firmer, plastic fingers reaching out and grasping the edge of the bag.  

That caused Mono to become still... 

Then a single spark of static sparked out of him, arcing to the adult like a painful sting and causing it to bring the plastic hand back like it hurt. Its grip remained firm on him however, yet the adult seemed to cease in its investigations, tilting its head in curiosity. 

Six meanwhile, narrowed her eye in anger. He still had his powers and could use them, yet despite the situation they were in he didn’t use them? 

What was wrong with him? 

Her anger was then broken by the adult humming, straightening itself tall again before gesturing to the Patient to hand Six over. Despite the command, the Amalgamation seemed reluctant in handing her over, hand receding backwards. The Surgeon seemed to not appreciate the hesitation, leaning forward in a threatening fashion, the Patient cowering slightly. 

The plastic adult then presented the Yellow Devil, said figure snarling at the masked adult. Nothing came of her threat however, instead simply grasping the teen in its other hand. A beat then passed as the adult observed each teen in its hands, before lifting the two of them and passing them to the plastic hands above. 

Six struggled in the hand she was placed in, the blood of Netty splattering against the raincoat she wore, staining it crimson. Blood was something that Six had often found on herself, whether internationally or not, it was something that she knew could be washed off. 

But this blood would be more difficult to wash...

The adult then began to walk back down the stairs, nearly hitting the two teens it was carrying against the ceiling as it did. It then turned to the door from before, pushing it open and revealing the table in the center, still stained with the blood of the youngest. 

Six watched as Mono struggled against the hand at the sight, knowing what the sight meant and what was about to follow. Six however, merely stared at the sight, knowing that they only chance they had was the adult messing up when it tried to place them on the table. 

As such, Six saved her energy, it wasn’t worth it. 

The Yellow Devil watched as the adult approached the table, white sheet covering it, stained with blood and bright light overhead... 

… And then promptly walked past it. 

Confusion promptly came to both her and Mono’s faces, both of them sure that they were going to be cut open. Now though? Six had no idea what it was doing and that wasn’t good. 

The Surgeon walked across the room, approaching another set of doors at the other end and pushing them open, revealing another poorly lit hallway. A door was once more in front of them, the hallway continuing to the right and left, tiled walls once more the sole trait of it all. The adult did not pause to look at which way to go, instead turning right and walking down the hallway, shoes clacking against the floor. 

Six scanned her eyes across the adult, trying to find anything about it that might help them. As she did, her gaze landed on the robed adult’s hands and lifting an eyebrow at what she saw. Just barely visible and peeking out from the robes were bandages, wrapped around the adult’s wrist, stained a deep crimson red. 

The girl in yellow knew a lot about wounds and by the looks of it, the one that decorated the adult’s wrist was fresh. 

Very fresh. 

It made her partially wonder what had happened to inflict the wound and so recently, though another part simply saw a weakness, a vulnerability to be exploited. As such, she tucked the information away, knowing that it might come in handy. 

The Surgeon then turned at another crossroads, before stopping at a door on the left-hand side of the hallway. A hand went into the robes, coming back out with a ring of keys that looked aged, some broken and bent. A key went in and the door unlocked, the adult walking inside and flipping a switch on the wall as it did. 

A second of flickering lights later, the room was revealed in poorly working bulbs, a desolate room filled with cages that were eerily similar to those aboard the Maw. They were many of them, stacked atop each other and varying in size from those meant for rats to ones that could fit an adult if they squished themselves. 

The adult walked over to the corner, revealing a small set of metal cabinets that the adult quickly opened and rummaged through. A hand then withdrew something that Six couldn’t see and placed atop the cabinet, closing the draw with an audible scrape of metal.  

Six then felt the hand holding her move, bringing her face to face once more with the Surgeon. The adult then spun her around so her back was to it, fingers around her torso coming free, though the ones that kept her arms pinned remained. Six then felt her bag being removed from her back, causing her to release a hiss of anger, she needed that... 

The Yellow Devil then found herself spun around again, dark pits looking at her, as the adult’s hands reached for what it had put down on the cabinet. The hand then adjusted itself slightly and suddenly, Six found her arms were free.  

A sense of confusion ran through her, yet she didn’t question it and instead raised her arms to- 

Her attempt to use her powers however, were interrupted by sudden feeling of metal being forcibly placed around her hands and painfully. 

Six hissed through her teeth, looking down at her hands to see what had happened. Her eyes revealed that her hands were now incased in what she could only describe as cuffs that covered her entire hands, chains between them that prevented her from moving them too far apart and little room inside them. The teen attempted to move her fingers, yet nothing responded, the space too little. 

The Yellow Devil then looked at the masked adult with narrowed eyes, the thing had somehow managed to place the cuffs on her with such speed that she only saw a blur in front of her. 

That was dangerous. 

Even more cause for concern were the cuffs, as without her hands she couldn’t use her powers.  

Six then felt herself move again, the adult carrying her over to a stack of cages, selecting one of decent size and opening it up. The Yellow Devil then felt herself freefall for a second before she found herself landing painfully on her rear, quickly looking up to see the cage door closing and locked with a click. 

The Surgeon then walked away back to the cabinet, lowering Mono and doing the same to him, his backpack removed and cuffs placed around his hands. The adult then walked back over to the stack of cages next to her, picking one up and inserting the boy into it, this one of a smaller size compared to hers. 

Clearly, the adult hadn’t enjoyed the little ‘jolt’ Mono had given it. 

The cage was then placed opposite hers, not so close that they could reach out and touch each other, but close enough that they could talk with a whisper.  

Mono looked at Six, his eyes unreadable yet Six sent him a glare that made him return with an offended look, as if he didn’t know why she was angry. 

Another hum from the adult then broke their glares, the both of them looking at the adult as it retrieved a small notepad and pen from a breast pocket. The Surgeon the wrote something down quickly before turning in silence and walking out of the room, the door closing with only a slight sound. 

Then, there was nothing but the sound of flickering lights and echoing singing that lingered through the halls. 

Six heard Mono move around in his compact cage, turning to see him look at both his cage and the room around him.  

She however, did not. 

The girl knew that it was pointless to do so, as there was no possible way to get out. Breaking the lock was out of the question, as neither had their hands free to do so. Attempting to break the cage was also out of the question, as the adult had placed them on the floor and they couldn’t edge the cages to make them fall. 

So, they were stuck. 

Mono then banged his cuffs against the cage, getting Six’s attention with an annoyed expression. He gestured to the cages they were in, an expectant look in his eyes, a look of why she wasn’t trying to get out. 

Six merely shook her head, she had already made her mind up about trying. 

The bag-headed teen merely stared at her incredulously, before scoffing and looking around again. He looked for only few minutes, the realization of their situation settling in, something which surprised Six at how long it took him. A few seconds later Mono sat himself down on the floor, knees high with his bound arms sat atop them. 

Six had already sat down, legs crossed and arms laying in-between, hood still covering her face. They sat in silence for a few minutes, both of them saying nothing and simply letting the dreaded silence of the Hospital fill the air. Eventually however, one of them released a huff, a sound of dissatisfaction and anger at their situation. 

“Why did I agree to this...?” Mono lambasted to himself, shaking his head whilst his eyes slowly tracked over to her.  

The girl merely rolled her crimson eyes at him. “Because you did something wrong.” She replied simply. 

Mono tilted his head fully to her, eyes already narrowing. “Wrong?” He asked incredulously. “The only thing ‘wrong’ I did was agreeing with you that coming back here was a good idea.” 

Six scoffed at him. “So what you did to the Brothers wasn’t wrong?” 

Once more the teen flinched at the words, before shaking his head. “I did that because you were there, not because I was trying to hurt them.”  

The girl shook her head, that was a poor excuse and he knew it.  

“Besides, don’t act like you care about them.” He stated, pointing at her with a finger. “You’d ditch them in a heartbeat once they stopped being useful to you.”  

Six felt annoyance creep up her, body fully turning to face the boy. “That’s still more care than you gave to them.” 

The bag on Mono's face leered forward, anger apparent in his hidden features. “I DO care about them.” 

A shake of her head was the response to that. “If you did care, then you would have used your powers to save Netty...” 

Mono’s eyes once more jolted to a brief look of fear before settling back into anger. “That has nothing to do with-” 

“No.” Six interrupted, chained hands pointing at him. “No more excuses, you could have easily helped him then or against the adult, but you didn’t.”  

She leaned forward in her cage slightly, eyes accusatory. 

“So, why?” 

Mono remained silent for a few seconds, eyes flickering rapidly before his head turned away from her. “I don’t have to answer to you.” 

Six bit back a growl in her throat before a small grin came to her face.  

“I know...” 

The teen with a bag for a face turned his head slightly in surprise but didn’t look at her. 

“It’s because you’re a coward.” 

Mono turned to look at her with an offended look, anger returning to his face. “What-” 

Six shook her head in amusement. “You only care about yourself, don’t you?” She asked rhetorically, pointing at him. “The other kids aren't there because you care about them...” 

“There just meat shields for you.” 

A bang rang out through the room, as Mono slammed his cuffs against the cage. "You shut up right now, you b-” 

The teen merely let out a small chuckle at his anger. “I’m right aren’t I? You’re just a selfish person.” 

Mono turned away from her, head held between his legs. “Shut it...” He hissed out. 

“Like I always said you were, back in the village and back all that time ago...” 

He shook his head again, hands creeping up his face “ Shut it.” 

“A selfish monster, worse than anything in this world...” 

The teen gave no response, simply laying his head more into his legs. 

“Because he lied to everyone, including me by making them think he wasn’t one, that he was a friend...” 

Mono shook with something deep inside himself, fists clenching till they turned pale. 

Six leered her head forward slightly more. 

“You’re worse than hi-”  

“I’M SCARED, OKAY?!” 

The sudden outburst caused Six to lean back in surprise, head nearly hitting the bars behind her. Mono had turned at a frightening speed towards her, bag nearly pressed up to the bars and cuffed arms banging into it. He remained there for a few tense seconds, taking deep breaths that sounded both agitated and gasping. 

Finally, he leaned back from the bars, his body quivering slightly as he sat himself down in a heap.  

The bag-headed teen then took a steadying breath, licking his lips before he began to talk in a broken voice. 

“I’m... I’m scared to use my powers...” He started, taking another breath. “I have been, ever since we...” He trailed off, the answer hanging in the air from how obvious it was. 

Six looked at him for a few seconds, slowly pushing herself off the bars and recovering from the surprise. 

“Why...?” Six asked, wondering why he would be afraid of his powers just from their fight. 

Mono looked back with a ludicrous look, eyes widen and slightly red.  

“Because of you!” He exclaimed, pointing at her. 

The Yellow Devil felt her brows furrow at that, tilting her head in confusion.  

A look of disbelief passed through the boy’s hidden face, though it quickly passed as he shook his head, hiding it again.  

“I’ve always been... afraid of my powers, ever since I knew I had them.” He stated, looking at his hands. “I'd only use them when I had to.” 

His eyes then flicked over to her for a second. “But when I started travelling with you, I... started to try and use them a bit more, see if I could do anything else with them.” 

“Like what?” Six asked, some of her anger leaking out of her. 

Mono looked at her, a bitter look in his eyes that spoke of years of resentment. “Like protecting you...” 

Six narrowed her eyes in suspicion, saying nothing and instead placing a hand on her chest as she looked at him. 

The boy let out a humorless chuckle. “You were my friend Six, I wanted to protect you and I thought that maybe my powers could do that.” 

He sighed again. “You were the only person I was comfortable doing it around, you never tried to stop me.” 

Six rolled her eyes. “Because I didn’t know what it would cause.” 

“Exactly." 

The Yellow Devil blinked at that, not expecting the teen to agree with and turned her gaze to find him looking at the door in room. 

“After you left, I was left on my own and the only thing I had was my powers...” He looked at his hands again.  

“Powers that had caused me nothing but misery.” 

Mono looked at her, an accusatory yet tired look in his eyes. “Everything we went through in the city showed me that using my powers wouldn’t help anyone, it would just push them away. Get them killed.” 

“And I didn’t want that...I-I don’t want to be alone.” 

Six felt a distant memory resurface at those last stuttered words, he had always been afraid of being alone, of hearing nothing but his own thoughts. 

“So... I stopped using them, because I didn’t want to lose another friend, I didn’t want to be alone...” He lamented, eyes downcast and sorrowful. 

A sad smile then came to his face. “And... it worked, I have so many friends now, so many people who need protecting.” 

The smile then faded as his thoughts returned to misery. “But... I was always afraid of what would happen if they found out, if they would react like... you.” 

Six remained silent at the teen, thoughts trying to sort themselves out at what he said. Finally, her mind caught up and responded to him. 

“Liar.” 

Mono didn’t respond at first to the word, but his brain quickly realized what she had said and spun to look at her with a shocked expression. “What-” 

“You said you did it to protect me, because you felt comfortable around me and wanted to keep me safe, to be my friend...” She said, eyes narrowing. 

“That’s a lie.” 

The teen bag looked at her with anger. “ No, it isn’t.” 

Six felt annoyance bubble up once more, this time with more force, her control of it becoming loosened. “It IS.” 

Mono leaned against the bars. “Why would I lie about that?! You know me, don’t you?” 

“I thought I did!” Six replied, voice raising a few decibels more than what it had in the past few years. “But you showed me years ago that protecting friends isn’t you.” 

“Of course it is!” Mono responded, voice raising itself as well, voice becoming heated. 

“It isn’t!” Six shouted back, getting to her knees and leering at him from behind the bar, anger clouding her for the first time in years. 

“Why?!” The former friend asked, voice challenging her, as if to say she had no reason.  

Six wouldn’t take that. 

She felt the reason bubble in her chest, in her throat where it had sat for years, a reason of deep hatred for the boy all that time ago. 

“Because I thought you were my friend!” 

The teen across from her snapped back his head from her sudden outburst, not expecting the girl who had never raised her voice to suddenly do so. Six meanwhile, took a few deep breaths, in the back of her mind knowing that what she had said was opening a box of long kept memories. But stopping now wasn’t an option, for the box had already been opened. 

So, she sighed and looked at the boy across from her. 

“I thought you were my friend Mono...” She began, crimson irises locking onto him. “I thought when you saved me all that time ago that you were just trying to help me...” 

“And like an idiot, I believed you.” 

She sighed again. “I followed you everywhere you went, doing everything you said because I believed that you could keep us safe.” 

Mono narrowed his eyes at her. “But you didn’t have to-” 

“But I did.” Six interrupted, hissing at him with venom. “Because you were the first real ‘friend’ I ever had.” She said with air quotes. 

What Six had said wasn’t strictly true of course, she had had tried to have those she could call companions, friends even before Mono. She remembered when she was in the Mansion all that time ago, running from the horrible servants that walked the halls, knowing what would happen if she didn’t 

Rows and rows of dolls, faces blank yet lifelike in appearance, skin pulled taught and drying out. She remembered the lines, lines filled with drying ‘leather’ that tanned in the air, salt in a pit to keep them fresh. The leather would sometimes blow in the wind, the smell of death permeating from them. 

And sometimes, she could see the faces of those passed on that skin. 

It was a good reminder of avoiding them. 

But then she remembered one day the loud banging, the crashing that came from above, the sound causing her to investigate, for no adult came into the rafters. When she did, she found that to be true and instead found a strange sight that lingered in her mind. 

A balloon, carrying a basket and within that basket, a child like her.  

Wearing a bright yellow raincoat... 

The same coat she wore now. 

At first, she had ran from the girl, experience telling her that she shouldn’t try, for all the times she had they had all ended up failing. Yet as she went through the massive house, she saw the girl more and more, seeing that she hadn’t fallen to the trappings of the mansion like the others. She was smart. 

Like her. 

So, she began to slowly help the girl at some points, leaving things for her, trying to make her escape easier. Then, she remembered, the garden, the run through it, the both of them trying to escape the Butler that pulled things down in their path to stop them. 

She remembered tripping falling behind... 

Then, remembered how the girl shut the door in her face. 

Six had tried banging on the door, wanting to be let in, the adult behind her still following.  

But the girl hadn’t. 

So, she had ran, through the bushes, towards the cliffside, hoping the adult wouldn’t follow. It didn’t but the girl did come upon two familiar faces.  

One the girl, clad in yellow, face set in fear as she ran. 

And behind her, the Pretender, a monster in the shape of a girl like them. But underneath that façade was nothing more than an angry, hungry thing that desired more and more, yet everything it touched was reduced to nothing. 

She remembered in her chest how she felt, anger coursing through it, wanting to leave the girl to die for almost letting her die. 

Yet she didn’t.  

Six ran with her, the girl seeming surprised and relieved to see her, helping her and Six helping back. She remembered the Pretender getting closer, the girl corned, Six desperately, moving the boulder from above and... 

It hadn’t mattered. 

She still didn’t have a friend. 

It had made her realize that having one was pointless, what good was relying on someone if they couldn’t fend for themselves? If they couldn’t run alongside them when they needed to?  

That was what she had believed, what part of her still believed... 

Until she met Mono. 

“And because you were, I didn’t know what to do...” she stated, eyes flickering away for a second. 

“I always went along with what you were doing, always agreed to it, even if it made no sense to do so.”  

Mono’s eyes briefly flickered to annoyance. “You didn’t have to- 

The girl’s eyes narrowed. “But I did, because I thought that’s what friends did.” She replied, anger seeping in once more. 

“I always gave you the benefit of the doubt, I always followed you wherever you went and I always tried to help you...” 

“Because I thought that what friends did...” 

Six then turned, releasing a huff of anger as she pointed to her scarred eye.” And look what that got me.” 

Mono remained silent at her rant, eyes unknown and looking her over, seemingly debating something within himself. Finally, he looked at Six, his eyes slightly softer.  

“Six...” 

“You know I never wanted to hurt you, back then, don’t you?” He asked, voice quiet, yet still slightly shimmering with rage. 

Six looked at him, eyes hidden behind her hair and hood. “Really?” She responded, voice filled to the brim with sarcasm. 

The teen shook his head. “Six, you know I never wanted to hurt you.” He stated. “Why would I go through all that pain, through the School and this place....” He gestured to the room around them. 

“To make you suffer?” 

Six remained silent for a second.  “Why should I believe you? Especially after what you did-” 

“Because I wouldn’t!” Mono interrupted. “If you really knew me, you would know that I wouldn’t do that, that I would never try to...” 

“Or have you forgotten everything we went through in this damn city?” 

The Yellow Devil turned away from him, silence engulfing the room and making the words the boy had spoken seem void. But then, another voice joined, one that Six hadn’t heard for a while. 

He’s right, you know?  

Six saw her shadow out of the corner of her eye, lazily stood against the bars and nodding to Mono. 

Who would ever lead someone through an entire city, risking life and limb, just to make someone they just met suffer?  The shadow shook its head. It wouldn’t make any sen-  

The shadow was cut off from continuing by the sound of Mono rapidly pressing himself away from her to the bars behind him, slamming into them with an audible bang. 

Mono took a few breaths, before opening his mouth. “Six, can yo-” He stuttered slightly. “You see that?” 

Six narrowed her eyes for but a second before they widened in realization, turning to look at her shadow, as it stared at the boy. “You can see it?” 

The shadow looked at her. It? The distorted voice came out distorted, yet offended. 

Mono nervously nodded back. “Yeah, I can...” He took another breath. “What the hell is it doing here? I haven’t seen it since I was last here...” 

Six furrowed her brows at that, confusion becoming apparent in her face. “Wait... What do you mean, ‘Since you were last here?’  

The teen with a bag looked at her. “When you got... taken...” He started, Six suppressing the memory of what had happened that day. “It was... there. It led me to you, had to run through the entire city, nearly got crushed by a train and-” 

“Wait.” Six interrupted, eyes becoming curious. “It led you to me? You ran through the entire city?” 

Mono nodded back, eyes uncertain of why she wanted conformation. 

The Yellow Devil turned to her shadow, pulling her face back into a frown. “Why didn’t you tell me any of this?” She demanded. 

A roll of the shadow’s head was given, its version of rolling one’s eyes. I tried to, but you never wanted to listen, never wanted to hear about ‘him.’ The shadow said with air quotes.  

Six felt her face settle back into a passive one, silently digesting what the shadow and Mono said. She then heard the boy behind her shuffle around, Six turning to find him now facing her completely.  

“You... never asked about me? Never knew about what I did?” Mono asked, voice sounding slightly disappointed and angered. 

The girl looked at him, eyes looking him over before she turned away from him. 

“I told you before Mono...” She said with a low voice. 

“I’ve done a lot of things and I don’t like to focus on them.” 

Mono remained silent at that, looking at her critically before shaking his head and turning away from her.  Six stared at the boy, watching as he silently brooded to himself and noticing how the shadow looked at her expectantly. Six looked at the shadow before sighing and decided to ask it something. 

“What...” She started, the teen turning his head slightly to look at her. “Did he do exactly to get to me?” 

The shadow looked at her for a second, as if debating something. Ran through the entire city to get to you, hordes of Viewers, went through TVs, heck he got chased by the big tall guy in the suit.  

Six felt her pulse quicken at the description but calmed herself before looking at the boy. “The Thin-” The words got stuck in her throat, unable to say them. “He chased you?”  

Mono nodded slowly. “He did...” He answered. “Wouldn’t leave me alone, always found me, forced me to ride a train car that crashed to get away from him.” 

The Yellow Devil tilted her head at that. “Wait... you crashed a train car and didn’t get killed?” She asked in disbelief. 

He shook his head. “No, but I nearly broke all my ribs from it.” He stated, pointing to his side.  

Understanding came to Six as she raised her head, before her mind realized something. “Is that why screamed in pain when I-” 

“Yes.” Mono interrupted, his voice both lacking emotions yet somehow containing an annoyed tone to it. 

Six chuckled slightly at that, causing the boy to shake his head. “Of course you’d laugh at that, after I nearly died and then had to fight him.” He responded with a angered voice. 

The Yellow Devil spun her head in surprise to him, eyes slightly widened at his words. “You... fought him?” She inquired with a whisper.  

Mono cast his eyes downwards, looking at his hands. “I-I did, it took a lot out of me, but I did.” He confirmed, words sounding hollow as he flexed his hands slightly. “Had to use my powers to fight him, to kill him...”  

Six felt her eyes widen slightly more at that information, Mono had killed him? 

She had always wondered where the terrible adult had disappeared to, why it had never returned to torture her, to cause even more unbearable pain that went beyond the limits of the body. The girl had spent days navigating through the city, watching every shadow, every TV, fearing that the man would emerge once more, to take her back to the room of pink and pain. 

But he never did. 

And, if Mono was to be believed, he was the reason why. 

Still, that left her with a question... 

“Why?” She asked. 

Why would someone, anyone, go to the lengths he had to supposedly save her? Risk life and limb, walk through valleys of death, confront things that made nightmares seem childish and face things that made the mind spin? 

Mono simply looked at her, a bitter look in his eyes of black and grey that had lingered in them for so many years. 

“Because I thought you were my friend...” He answered, her own words once more repeated back to her, though this time they were spoken with a virulence and venom that made even her mind stall slightly.  

Six stared at him and so did he, neither of them backing down... 

Until Six sighed, turning her eyes downwards, Mono seeming surprised yet doing the same as well.  

They let the silence linger, neither speaking, neither moving, simply trying to figure out all that had been said within the past few minutes. 

“Should I come back later or...?” 

Mono snapped his head up at the sound, Six doing the same at the sudden new voice, both of them looking around the room before both of their eyes found the source.  

On the wall left to the door stood a stack of cages, propped on each other so high they nearly reached the ceiling. Yet amidst that sea of steel bars stood a familiar sight, a vent entrance, hinge and all. 

And within that little tunnel of cold metal stood a familiar face... 

A supposed, dead, face. 

Netty. 

Mono felt his mouth form into something that reassembled a snake’s unhinged jaw, whilst Six brows furrowed and eyes widened to a size she wasn’t accustomed to. 

“Netty...?!” Mono finally spoke, gesturing to the boy was currently leaving the vent into the room. 

“Yes?” The youngest answered, as if nothing had happened. 

Mono and Six both shared a glance of disbelief, the former realizing that the shadow had disappeared, before Six addressed the issue. “You’re alive?” She asked. 

The brother looked at her with a raised eyebrow as he landed on a cage. “Why wouldn’t I be?” He replied, perplexed. 

“Because we saw you get taken by the adult!” Mono stated, voice carrying a great amount of frustration and fear at the boy. 

Netty nodded at him, flicking a thumb to the door as he jumped down to another cage. “He did, but I managed to get away, luckily.” 

“How?” Mono asked. 

Netty looked at his Boss before making a stabbing motion. “Scalpel, remember?” He replied with slight annoyance. 

Both teens’ eyes widened slightly at that, Six’s mind replaying what she had seen earlier when they had been carried by the adult.  

The wound on its wrist... 

“You managed to stab it in the wrist, didn’t you?” She inquired, causing the boy to nod at her. 

Mono meanwhile simply looked at the door before returning his gaze to Netty. “But we saw your backpack in the bin...”  

Netty raised an eyebrow but still nodded again. “Had to lose it to get through a hole in the wall to escape.” He replied, finally reaching the ground. “Weird Doctor thing must have picked it up.” 

Six nodded slowly at that, turning to Mono. “The corpse must have been someone else then...” She suggested, the bag of Mono nodding at her. 

Surprisingly, Netty nodded as well at that, a grim look on his face. “I saw some sort of freezer room when I was travelling through the vents...” He shook his head. “I don’t wanna think how many were in there.” 

Six nodded at that, watching as the boy got closer and gesturing to the cage with her shackled hands. The boy looked them over, trying to figure out how to get in. “Know where the keys are?” He asked. 

Mono shook his head. “Try the draws.” 

Netty nodded, turning to the cabinet in the corner and running over to it and prying the first draw open. As he did, Momo heard the girl next to him sigh, turning to her with a raised eyebrow behind his mask. The teen in yellow noticed the look, eyes looking at him before nodding at the boy, who was currently searching through the first draw. 

Understanding gleamed in the boy’s eyes, she was relieved that Netty was alright it seemed. It made him question himself and her, did she really care about him? Was her anger towards him really born of his actions against the Brothers? 

He didn’t know anymore. 

The sound of the boy crawling out of the draw broke him out of his thoughts, seeing that Netty had retrieved a ring of small keys that he brought over to the cage. It took a few moments for him to find the right keys, but eventually he did and Mono managed to stretch to full height again.  

Now, the only thing left was getting the cuffs off. 

However, as they all went about trying to find a way to get them off, Six noticed something. 

“These cuffs have no keyholes...”  

Indeed, whilst the cuffs had a mechanism to lock when slotted in, there appeared to be no way to actually get them open externally. It made part of Mono wonder, why design cuffs that couldn’t unlock? The more he thought about if however, the more he realized there was a reason for it. 

A very bloody reason. 

One that he didn’t want to think about...

So, he instead focused on trying to get them off, telling the youngest to look through the draws and try to find anything that might help them get the damn things off. Netty complied, digging through the draws until he came upon something that might help. 

A pair of heavily blood and rust crusted wire cutters. 

Mono didn’t want to think about why they were like that. 

Instead, he focused on the conundrum they had. 

From the looks of it, the cutters looked on the verge of breaking, so much so that they might not even last cutting one pair of cuffs. He pondered which of them was better having their hands free, but Six stopped that, telling him that if her hands were free, she could simply use her powers to cut him free. 

Mono felt himself become uneasy at the suggestion, so far Six’s powers had been finicky at best and relying on them again was difficult to do. Yet he knew what she said was true and even if she couldn’t break his cuffs, her powers could still be of use. 

So, he reluctantly told Netty to break hers first. 

That was easier said than done. 

It took a few moments of trial and error to position the cutters just right so that they cut off enough to expose Six’s hands, without also taking a chunk out of them. Eventually they did and the two of them pushed the cutters together, the metal underneath them resisting with great effort to their strength. They continued pushing for what felt like minutes, till eventually Mono felt himself slip as the metal finally gave. 

He pushed himself off the floor with a huff, he was starting to get tired off constantly falling onto it and looked at the girl who had betrayed him. Her hand was now indeed exposed, the cutters that now lay in a broken heap, having managed to do the job, though her knuckles had still been grazed by them. 

Six then quickly let the shadow she had slip out, Mono watching as it pried the metal apart, freeing her whole hand before it did the same to the other. She then approached Mono, telling him to stick his arms out, which he did reluctantly.  

The girl then told him to keep his hands relaxed, Mono noticing that her voice did not possess the usual venom for him and that furthermore, he did as she asked, if only begrudgingly. 

He watched as the shadow coiled over his cuffs for but a second, before the sound of metal shattering was heard and the teen’s cuffs were removed.  

Mono looked down at his freed hands, rubbing them and turning to look at Six. The teen in question looked back and Mono sighed before he nodded at her. The girl didn’t respond for a moment, but then she finally nodded back, before turning to the bin in the room. 

The pair of them ventured over to it and after capsizing the thing, managed to find their bags amongst a sea of bloodied hands. 

Mono knew he was right about the cutters.  

They then gathered around once more, Netty looking to him with concerned eyes. 

“What do we do now Boss?” He asked with slight fear. 

Mono looked at him. “We need to find the others and find what we came here for.” He declared, voice for once filling with confidence. “Preferably without running into anything.” 

The other two nodded, though Six spoke up afterwards. “What about the fuses? We need them don’t we?” 

That made Mono push his lips, they did need them, but more than likely the adult had moved them by now. Finally, he sighed before gesturing to the vent Netty had come through.  

“Hopefully the adult put them in a storage room of some kind.” He stated, walking over to the cages to begin climbing. “But we need to find Alle and Stub first.” 

Netty nodded at that, but he looked up to his Boss with concern. “Boss... is my brother alright?” 

Mono paused in his climbing, looking down at him with tired eyes. “He- We all thought the other body was yours...” He shook his head. “Stub didn’t exactly take it well.” 

The youngest's face morphed into concern at that, he knew Stub was could withstand a lot, but if he thought he lost his brother? 

It was doubtful he’d be in a good place right now... 

Mono resumed his climb, Six watching before beginning to walk over to the cages to do the same before Netty stopped her by pulling on her coat. 

Six turned to the boy with a raised eyebrow, finding him to be looking up at her with a face that spoke of reserved, yet fearful curiosity.  

“I... I didn’t hear everything when I heard you two ‘talking’ to each other...” He admitted, orange eyes glancing to the floor below. “So you don’t need to worry about that.” 

The teen nodded, that was good, she didn’t want others knowing their history. 

“But...” He started, getting Six’s attention. 

“What did you mean about what the Boss did to me and my Brothers?”  

Six kept her face passive at the question, yet her insides were conflicted at the question. She turned to the boy in question, watching as he finished climbing up the cages. 

“I’ll...” She began, for once, hesitation building up inside her throat. 

“... Tell you later, when we’re safe.”  

Netty looked at her perplexed for a moment before he ultimately nodded and walked to the stack of cages, beginning his own ascent. Six mirrored him, both in his actions and the confusion. 

She didn’t know why she hesitated, it was unlike her. But she did know how she felt and when she felt like telling him then and there, it felt... dishonest, like she was lying. Which was absurd to her, especially regarding him.  

Yet... 

Six shook her head, it wasn’t worth focusing on. 

Instead, she focused her mind to the task at hand... 

Escaping this place.

The sound of footsteps echoed through the hall, worn and darkened heels clacking against the tiled floor. Another sound echoed throughout the hallway as they did, the sound of plastic arms, bending another arm as they walked the hallway. 

It was... curious on how it had been damaged. 

The adult had seen a great many things damage the limbs of its Patients, falls, shocks, burns and even cuts. But this? 

This was so much different... 

And fascinating. 

The damage had been done to one of its favorite Patients, so many limbs, so much potential and very understanding. It had come crawling to them, whining that it had been hurt, that very bad things had hurt it. Of course, this had been in the middle of surgery, something that annoyed them greatly. 

But when it saw the damage to it? How could it not help? 

Though, that had led to the discovery of the damaged limb. 

Such a clean cut, so fine without edges or marks and not even the compressions left from the initial cut. The Surgeon knew a great deal about cutting, it was what it did after all. 

And this? 

This impressed it. 

It made them wonder, how could they achieve such a thing? 

They had asked their Patient what had done this, what had managed to do such a horrible, yet amazing thing to it? The Patient told them of small nasty things, one that was yellow and made the shadows move with its hand.  

Kids. 

They had already found one, taking the fuse from somewhere and undoubtedly causing problems. They had grabbed it of course, but the damn thing had stabbed it with one of its scalpels, allowing it to escape its grasp into the walls. 

Such an improper use of equipment. 

But despite the new injury, fortune had come to their side, as the kids the Patient had described had come to them, including the one in yellow! Of course, they had interrupted the surgery as well, but it mattered not, the one it was looking for was here. 

It had been an interesting experience, the yellow one had done... something to it, a feeling that it may have perhaps likened to death, though it couldn’t be sure of that. Still, they had managed to detain them, with some help from its favorite of course. Then, it had gone to work looking at them, seeing that there was indeed something different about the yellow one, something darker hidden inside. 

But that wasn’t the only one... 

The one with a bag, something was hidden behind the mask, something familiar, like that of the blessing outside. It had tried to remove it, but it gotten a shock unlike static that had made it pause in its investigation. 

Something like this... 

Needed a full day of surgery. 

So, it had locked them away, subjects for a different time, which had given it time to fix its Patient. 

Now, it wandered the halls, taking the limb to be studied, to find out how such a thing had been achieved. But as it did, it heard something... 

Something above it, banging in the vents. 

The Surgeon had walked these halls for what must have been decades now, it knew every sound that echoed through these halls, every possible thing that could make them.  

Rats could very much be a cause and had it been a different day, perhaps that would have sufficed. But the adult knew rats, it had cut many open, spliced so many with other things... 

And it knew that rats didn’t weight that much. 

So, the black mask of the adult turned upwards slowly, the metal vent above it shaking slightly, dust being dislodged. The arms on its back unfurled, reaching down to its belt line and retrieving a pair of blades that were reserved usually for cutting tendons. 

But unfortunately, they had to be used for something else now... 

So, the Surgeon looked a the vents, seeing the way they banged, the pattern they followed... 

Then, its arms shot forward... 

And stabbed into the vent. 

Chapter Text

Six knew that going into the vents was never a guarantee of safety. 

Sure, the metal interiors were too small for adults to crawl through and they usually protected them from the elements or whatever else may crawl outside at night.  But that didn’t mean they were invincible, there were risks to using them, including becoming trapped, limited escape options and noise. 

The latter of which, Six knew had caused what had just happened. 

They had been travelling through the vents just fine for a few minutes, occasionally able to look down and see the hallways that the vents followed. However, as they turned down one of the corners that Netty said he had come from, they had heard the sound of clacking shoes. 

Six had slowed herself down, hands and knees barely making a sound on the metal, as she peered down through a covering. Sure enough, the adult was there, carrying the limb she had cut from the Patient and inspecting it like it was something important. She then turned her head and nodded forward, with how the thing was preoccupied with the arm, they could sneak by it. 

So, they had done so. 

Or... At least they tried to. 

Unfortunately, they had all underestimated how perceptive the damn thing was. 

Because one second, they were crawling...

The next, two knives came plunging into the vents, narrowly missing Six and Mono by a measurement that seemed completely insignificant.  

That didn't stop the latter from releasing a noise of surprise however. 

The knives had withdrawn themselves, Mono quickly hissing at them to get moving, as the knives once more lunged into the vents. 

Six didn’t argue, instead pushing herself forward at an increased pace, hands and knees banging against the metal. The adult below them didn’t remain stagnant however, following them with loud steps, knives still entering the vent in an attempt to skewer them.  

The group kept going however, trying to avoid thinking about what would happen if they stopped or if the adult suddenly decided that ripping the vent off the ceiling was another option. Eventually, the vent turned into another room, one that the adult would have difficult following, so Six turned into it. Mono seemed to raise a curse behind her but followed nevertheless, following her and turning into the room. 

Right as the adult stabbed into the corner. 

Mono released a slight scream and sound of pain as the blade cut into him, glancing his ankle with a deep cut that spilled blood. However despite the cut he kept moving, knowing that staying still wasn’t an option. Instead, he kept crawling, blood trail behind them that Netty stood in with a grimace. 

The group then entered the vents of the new room, the Surgeon quickly pulling the keys from its belt to open the locked door. It would be for naught however, as the group quickly dragged themselves up the vent, following a ladder that whilst went to a blocked passageway, was still out of reach of the adult. They settled into the top of the blocked vent, hearing the adult below open the door and begin searching the room.  

A few tense moments went by, followed by the sound of the vent being opened and banging metal heard. The adult was more than likely searching the vent, trying to see where they had gone. A few more seconds went by, before finally the sound stopped and the clacking of feet was heard, a lock being turned as they did. 

None of them moved however, knowing that the adult could simply hear them and return if they didn’t wait. A couple of minutes passed, the only sound that could be heard was their breathing in the vents, echoing slightly. Then, Six stared down the ladder, not seeing any movement, nor hearing anything come up.  

She then gestured to the others to follow, both of them nodding as they descend back down.  

Six landed on the metal vent with a muted thump, looking through the covering of the vent into the room before pushing it open and entering. The room in question was some sort of storage closet, shelves stacked to her right with a metal one being what she stood on. The shelves were filled with cleaning supplies, cloths, chemicals and bottles that were gathering dust.  

The Yellow Devil then heard Mono land on the shelf next to her, Netty following shortly after, the two of them taking stock of the room like her. Mono then tried to step forward but winced in pain, looking down at his ankle that still bled onto the shelf’s green exterior.  

Mono grimaced behind his mask, that was going to be a problem. 

The teen sat himself down on the shelf, pulling his leg up to inspect it, seeing the deep gash that ran through his ankle. He pulled the skin back slightly, seeing that it nearly cut him to the bone, though it had thankfully missed any veins. Still, the wound would slow him down and right now, they didn’t need that. 

Mono then heard Six scoff at him, turning to see her shrug off her bag from her shoulders and place it on the metal surface, hands opening it up. A second later the boy suddenly found his vision obscured, letting a sound of confusion as he peeled what Six had thrown at him off his face. He looked down at the item, revealed to be bandages, a second later seeing a small bottle of alcohol placed next to him. 

Six looked at him expectantly, nodding her head at the wound in a fashion that implied for him to hurry up. The teen’s hidden eyes rolled themselves, but offered no argument to the girl as he unraveled the bandages and took the bottle of alcohol. 

The process of treating the wound was nothing new to Mono, thought it wasn’t his specialty, not like Lanu. The alcohol stung to be sure, but it was better than suffering something worse... 

Like what Renny was suffering. 

That name once more brought a ping of shame to his heart, he hadn’t caused the Brother to be in that condition, but in a way he still felt responsible.

He shook his head, feeling sorry about it wouldn’t help the boy. 

The only thing that would help him is getting back to him with the needed supplies. 

Mono wrapped another layer around his ankle, ready to finish it up before he heard Six scoff again. He turned, finding the girl shaking her head at him, Mono felt both confusion and annoyance towards her, what had he done wrong now? 

Six then walked up to him, kneeling in front of his wounded ankle before abruptly grabbing it and straightening out so she could inspect it. Mono hissed in both pain and at her, what did she think she was doing? 

The girl merely looked up at him and rolled her eyes, grabbing the ends of the bandages and re-wrapping them around his ankle, blood staining his legs slightly more. Six then wrapped it around one more time before pulling it tight and making sure it was secure before standing back with a nod. 

Mono then looked down at the wrap, seeing it was much secure than any technique he could do, though he was loathed to admit it. Still, he nodded his head at her, the girl nodding back before Netty stepped forward and gestured to the vents. 

The teen shook his head at the youngest, whilst going through the vents again could be faster, he didn’t want to risk being skewered again. 

They had gotten off lucky with just a cut. 

Netty sighed at that, knowing it was true before raising his arms in a questioning posture, clearly wondering what they could do to move through the place.  

Mono placed his hand to his chin, wondering what to do. Moving through the hallways would be difficult, as encountering the adult or Patients could be dangerous, even with Six’s powers to aid them. The other problem was that they needed to find the others first and doing that whilst adults wandered the halls was difficult. 

His gaze turned to the room in front of them, scanning the various shelves and seeing if there was anything that could help them. 

And it turned out, there was. 

The teen’s eyes landed on the various chemicals that lined one row of the shelves, more specifically, the large faded symbol that sat on the back of them. 

A symbol of a flame, one meant to warn of fire. 

Mono tilted his head for but a second before an idea came to his head. 

It was a dangerous one to be sure, but one that would guarantee a way to find the others. 

Or at least he hoped it would. 

Now, he just needed to convince the others of it.

Six had always thought Mono was headstrong. 

He had always gone into things with a sense of recklessness, not out of overconfidence, but out of a sense of fear and panicked hurry. The boy had wanted to get through things quickly, want to get past the horror, the danger so they could be somewhere less painful. 

The Yellow Devil could understand that... 

But this? 

This was a bit much, even for her. 

But she was still going along with it. 

The teen with a bag had proposed creating a fire, using the chemicals in the closet to create a distraction, one that would certainly distract anything in the building. It would be undeniable that it would create scene, as the fire would more than likely set the alarm for the building off and if they were lucky, the taps that littered the ceiling would go off as well. 

Still, that didn’t mean that it wasn’t without risk. 

Obviously, causing a fire in a confined space would mean there was a risk of it spreading and even though Six doubted it would, it was still a risk. The other problem was that the building could be so dilapidated that the alarms may not even work, severely limiting how fast and far they could travel. 

Even then, The Yellow Devil knew it was a better option than crawling through the vents or using her powers again. 

At least, for the mean time... 

So, the girl helped stack the chemicals in a corner, propping a broom along with it and emptying the contents of a bottle that was labeled ‘Drain cleaner.’ 

Soon enough, they had a suitable distraction fire and Mono along with Netty, climbed back up the shelves, waiting to climb back into the vents. Six meanwhile, tore apart an old cloth and took her trusty lighter to the dry fabric, the material lighting up in a second. She then threw it near the pile of chemicals, not close enough that it would light instantly but within a few seconds. 

The teen then quickly hurried to the shelves, climbing them and entering the vents, the others following. They sat in the vents for a few minutes, watching as the fire quickly grew, black smoke starting to fill the room and escape under the door. 

And sure enough... 

The alarm went off. 

It was loud, an ear-piercing sound that briefly disoriented the mind before it adapted, reverberating within one’s skull. The sound bounced off the tiled walls, creating a cacophony that sounded worse than what it should have been. 

However, the effects of the fire weren’t finished. 

A few seconds later, the sound of water rushing near them was heard, the telltale sound of the taps in the ceiling about to go off. Six turned, nodding to the other two and beginning to walk down the vent. With the combination of both the water and alarm going off, any sound they could hope to produce should be masked. 

They crawled down the vent with slightly hastened steps, going the way opposite of where they had come from originally. Six took note of the hallway beneath them, seeing the tiled floors starting to become drenched with slightly off looking water that made the surface slippery.  

Then, a figure passed under them, at a pace that was one filled with panic. 

Despite how quickly it went by, Six knew it was the Surgeon, if the black silhouette was anything to go by. She turned back, seeing that the others had spotted the adult go by and nodding at them, both of them nodding back. 

With the adult distracted they could make their way through the Hospital quicker. 

As such, the group increased their pace through the vents, steps masked by the blearing sounds that echoed through the halls. They crawled for what felt like an eternity, turning down corridors and looking for a way to leave the vents. 

Eventually, Six managed to spot a door that was ajar, the inside of the room barely revealed. By the looks of it, the door had been opened in a hurry, if the way it was smashed into the wall was any indication. 

And given that the adult had come from this direction, Six had a pretty good idea why it was open. 

Still, they turned into the room, only to meet a grate that blocked their way. Six rolled her eyes at the sudden blockage, as if something like this could stop her. She moved to raise her hand and call upon her power, but was stopped by Mono placing a hand on her shoulder. 

Confused, the girl turned to look at him with annoyance, only to see the teen shaking his head. Six lifted her eyebrows at him, why was he stopping her now? 

The boy motioned to slip past her, Six rolling her eyes, and squeezing up to the vent and allowing Mono to slip past, though they still bumped into each other. The teen then approached the vent, feeling around the edge of it before he leaned back and placed his uninjured foot against the covering. 

Mono then took a breath, pulling his foot back before kicking forward. 

Hard.  

The thin metal bent inwards at the blow, nearly coming off in one blow. The boy then raised his foot again, doing the same and sending the cover off with a bang. 

Mono then turned to Six, raising an eyebrow at her, seemingly questioning why she was about to use her powers on something like this. Six responded by merely rolling her eyes at him, did he feel so insignificant next to her that he had to prove himself? 

Still, wasting her powers on something so easy was indeed.... appreciated. 

The bag-wearing teen then resumed their crawl into the new room, coming upon an opening in the vent and pushing it open to exit. 

Only to then fall for a moment, as he had hurried to exit without checking exactly what he was standing on.  

Mono released a short noise of surprise as he fell once more, landing with a hard thump as his body met something wooden. The teen groaned in slight pain, he was getting really tired of falling and hurting his back. Then again, this time was his fault for not checking, so he could only blame himself for that. 

The boy then heard a scoff come from above, looking up to see Six and Netty looking down at him, both wearing faces of confusion and amusement. Mono ignored them and instead pushed himself up once more off what he had landed on. 

He looked down, seeing that what it was indeed made of wood, as it was a large old looking desk. Papers were scattered around the desk, seemingly in no order and many of them were filled with gibberish that made no sense and what little did make sense was still incomprehensible. His gaze then scanned the room, seeing picture frames lining the walls and two large bookshelves that stood behind the desk opposite the door. 

The teen pushed himself up and dusted himself for anything broke again before hearing Six hiss at him to move. Mono did so, walking over some papers and looking up just in time to see Six swing her legs over the side and jump down. A small shockwave went through the desk, the girl’s knees bending from the height and releasing a small grunt. 

Six then stood and walked over to Mono before looking up at Netty. Once more the boy seemed hesitant to jump, the Yellow Devil raising an eyebrow at him, not knowing his fear of heights. Netty then took a breath before he pushed himself off the edge.  

He landed with a small thud, quieter than Six had and stood, wincing slightly and rubbing his knees. He then nodded to them, Mono nodding back and ready to leave the room. 

But then, his eyes caught something. 

A small, leather-bound journal. 

The same one the adult had been writing in. 

Mono looked at the journal, knowing that whatever was inside the book would be anything but good, especially given the situation. But still, the curiosity he possessed had not lessened over the years and as such, he walked over to the journal. He spun the book to face him, seeing the front of it and the title that had been written on it, crossed out. 

The boy’s hands grabbed the bound leather, deciding to open it to a random page and see what the damn thing contained.  He flicked it open, the first entering his vision was.... 

A diagram of a... 

TV? 

He felt his brows crease at the sight, what was a ‘Doctor’ doing drawing a TV? 

The teen’s black eyes scanned the page, reading the different points across the dissected box. 

• Standard model 

       - None currently sold nor available. (Foreign?)  

• Inner workings make no sense, Jenkins confirmed it. 
• Same channels as standard 

        - Incorrect, channels present that are unique, also possesses actors that don’t exist. (Veronica, reoccurring)  

• Power supply same as standard. 

       - False, saw one on the streets, was still on despite lack of power. (Should not be possible)   

• Channels regularly interrupted by static, brief glimpses of what appears to be eyes. (Staring at too long causes confusion, head been aching past few days)  

Mono felt more confusion rise through him, wanting to reach out and turn the page. But he suddenly found Six shaking him, pointing to the door that was open with an annoyed expression, Mono shaking himself out of his stupor. 

They needed to leave... 

He looked back at the book. 

But he wasn’t leaving without this. 

The teen grabbed the book, whispering to Netty to come over to him and pointing at the book. The boy looked at him confused, but obeyed regardless, walking up to his Boss and asking what he wanted. Mono quickly instructed him to carry the book to take it with them, Netty reacting with confusion to the request.  

Mono however simply ushed a quiet signal that he would tell him later, the boy shrugging and closing the book, picking it up and carrying it on his back. The teen nodded at the boy, turning back to the door and seeing Six already at it, an impatient and inquisitive look on her otherwise blank face. 

The teen dropped down and nodded at her, pointing to the hallway she was looking through. Six looked at him for a second before nodding her head that it was safe, causing Mono to signal to Netty to quickly follow. 

Immediately upon entering the hallway, Mono felt his feet become wet, the water from the taps above having soaked the floor. The alarm still blared through the hall, though the water had seemingly stopped, preventing them from getting soaked.  

The group looked down both ends of the halls, seeing nothing coming before Mono nodded at them and set off down the hallway. The others followed behind him, at the back of their minds wondering where he was leading them. 

Mono knew however. 

He was leading them back to the theater from before. 

If Stub and Alle had hidden, they wouldn’t have gone far. 

At least, he hoped so. 

The group turned another corner, pace set as a hastened jog as they made their way through the soaked hallways. Finally, they came upon the doors the adult brought them through, Mono quickly running up to them and getting to work pulling them open, Six aiding him. 

A second later, the doors opened enough for them to enter the theater, everything present where it was before. 

Except for the LARGE glairing difference. 

That being the familiar tangle of limbs attached to a body on the table. 

Mono felt himself stopping at the sight, the two behind him following as they took note of what they saw. The adult on the table didn’t move, seemingly remaining where it was and unaware of their presence. As such, Mono directed them to move along the wall, hoping that they could get around it without trouble. 

The group began to move around the room, sticking close to the wall and keeping their eyes on the Amalgamation on the table. They continued to move for a few more seconds, the door now only a few inches away from them. Mono then reached out to begin pulling the door open, Six once more helping him as Netty kept his gaze on the adult. 

Despite the noise they made as they opened it, the Patient still didn’t move. 

Mono and Six then pulled the door open to, the hinges releasing a loud creak that could be heard echoing slightly. 

The adult still didn’t move. 

Six felt her eyes narrowing at it, why wasn’t it moving? 

The Yellow Devil narrowed her eyes at the Patient, focusing her power once more to see if it was alive or not. 

Only to see nothing. 

But not like it was dead, the soul leaving the body. 

No, this was like it had been taken out, the remnants of it there, but somewhere else.  

Six felt even more confusion at the sight, if the soul wasn’t in the adult, then where was it? 

She shook her head, it didn’t matter, if the adult wasn’t going to bother them then that was fine. The girl then turned her attention to the door again, slipping through it and following Mono as he ran through the hallway, winching as he did with Netty close behind her.  

However, once they began to run through the hallway, they began to hear something. 

A familiar sound... 

Of fingers rapidly crawling across the floor. 

Panic rippled through one of them, the teen turning his head behind them where the sound was coming from. 

Only to immediately regret doing so, due to what he saw. 

That being nearly a dozen hands, crawling towards them at a rapid pace and with ill intent.  

Mono immediately began speeding up his run, knowing that whilst one hand on its own was easy enough to handle, facing ten of them was much harder. Six meanwhile, stared at the hands, eyes seeing more than any of them. The hand’s souls were not individual things, instead they were pieces of one, like it had been split apart and animated each one. 

It explained where the Amalgamation went, though it did make her wonder how such a thing was even possible. 

The sound of hands gaining made her stop her questions, they were questions for later. 

Right now, the thing that mattered was creating distance between them and the limbs following them.  

The group ran through the small hallway that came up to the split, finding that the door was thankfully open. Mono ran through the doorway, deciding that going straight ahead was the best option at the moment. The others followed, Netty managing to keep pace despite the journal he carried. 

A few moments later, they found themselves in the hallway filled with limbs, the hands behind them knocking them aside without care as they chased.  

They then entered the reception area once more, only to come upon a terrible sight. 

The door to the stairs was closed... 

Meaning they couldn’t run anymore. 

Mono felt his eyes turn back to the hands for a second, seeing that they were still behind them. They needed to get away from them, or at the very least slow them down. As his mind formulated a plan, he saw the space behind the massive desk and noticing how it only had one way in.  

Perhaps if they could get on top, they could get away from them. 

He pointed to the space, the group turning as they suddenly found themselves in a corner. The teen pointed to the top of the desk, quickly running up to it and cupping his hands, gesturing to Netty to leap. The youngest complied, dropping the journal and placing his feet into his hands, kicking off him and grabbing the desk. 

Mono then looked at Six expectantly as she approached, preparing to throw her.  

But she didn’t. 

Instead, she slid up next to him, turning as she did and turning to face the hands as they came to them. 

Clearly, Six didn’t like running. 

Even if in this scenario, it made sense to. 

Mono hissed at her, questioning what she was doing, the girl merely responding by sending him a glare. The hands approached them, forming a barrier around them as they seemed to await something.  

Then, the hands all leered themselves back on their palms, ready to strike. 

Six pulled her shadow up, knowing that it would be difficult to fight so many at one time. But she wouldn’t stop, not for these little things, she was- 

Suddenly interrupted by a stapler hitting one of the hands. 

The hand in question flinched from the sudden blow, though it did no damage to it and simply caused it and the hands around it to search for what had thrown it. The answer was of course, Netty, standing on the desk looking down as he threw a roll of tape at the hands. 

Again the thrown object did no damage, simply making the hand flinch, though it did cause them to divert their attention to the boy and attempting to reach him. 

Which meant they turned their back to Six. 

Big mistake. 

The Yellow Devil reached out, shadow shooting out and gripping the splintered soul of one of the hands, easily able to tear it out compared to if it was whole. Six absorbed the soul, noticing how the other hands shook and convulsed slightly from the sudden loss of one of them, attention turning to her again.  

A beat passed, Six readying her shadow again. 

Then, the hands sprinted at her, rushing her with immense speed. 

Six shot her hand out, ready to grip one of the hands and tear its tiny soul out. Only, the hand was one that belonged to something she had already encountered and as such, knew what she was capable of. Which is why it dodged to the side at the attack, the others rushing forward. 

The Yellow Devil reacted instantly, rolling to the side as one leaped at her. Unfortunately, dodging one wasn’t that useful when there were eight others rushing her.  

Six found herself tackled to the ground, fingers scrapping at her face, trying to claw it off with dirty and elongated finger nails. The teen managed to grab the fingers, holding them at bay for a few seconds as the others hands circled her. Then, the hand was knocked to the side as Mono tackled it off her, managing to grab it and toss it aside. 

The girl quickly stood, seeing the hand Mono tossed quickly get up, the others hand charging at them. Mono quickly reached into his satchel, withdrawing his own knife that appeared quite new and held it firmly, ready to defend himself. 

A hand leapt at him, Mono thrusting forward and stabbing it, stopping its momentum. That didn’t matter much however, as the hand simply reached out and grasped him, causing him to drop the knife as he struggled to get the thing off him.  

Six threw a shadowy javelin at another one as it charged, hitting it in of its fingers and causing it to slow down as it suddenly found itself short a finger. That didn’t stop the others continuing their charge however and Six suddenly found herself on the ground again, wrestling with the thing. 

The hand managed to overpower her slightly, finger reaching out with a sharpened and grime plastered nail, wanting to tear her eye out. 

It was stopped however, by the sudden appearance of Netty, wrapping his arms around the hand and pulling it off her. The Youngest however, was quickly overpowered by the hand, as it turned its attention to him, clawing at his face and body, ripping his clothes and drawing blood. 

Six quickly stood, summoning her shadow to get the hand off the boy, but had to refocus her efforts as a different hand charged her. She readied her shadow, ready to slice it apart, but was interrupted when the sound of feet came bounding into her ears. 

Feet, that came from different people. 

Suddenly, the hand charging her was stabbed to the ground, a blade sticking through it that caused the hand to lay convulsing for a second before it was stabbed again and stopped.  

Six turned, seeing Alle standing there and nodding at her, Six nodding back. She then saw another person running towards the youngest who was being mauled, wielding what appeared to be a small hammer that looked to be used for medical procedures. 

The figure swung the hammer at the hand, sending it flying into the desk with a bang, the hand sliding down and trying to recover itself.  

Stub however, didn’t give it a chance. 

He charged the hand, bringing the hammer down low and swinging it upwards, hitting the hand square on and planting it against the desk with a crunch. The large brother withdrew the hammer, the hand falling to the ground with a slap. 

It didn’t get up. 

Six turned from him, seeing Alle stabbing the hand that currently pinned Mono, getting it to untangle from the boy. The hand didn’t lay down from the blow however, instead quickly jumping back and charging the bodyguard, intent to rip her apart.  

It would fail however, as Six drew her power back and threw it forward, impaling the hand and briefly pinning it to the ground. The bodyguard acted on the advantage, striking the hand once more and finishing it off, Alle then turning to Mono and picking him up.  

The bag-headed teen nodded at his friend, before seeing Six rush past them, shadowy blade in hand as she sliced clean through another hand that leapt at them. The girl in yellow then turned to them, a look of annoyance in her face as she gestured to the remaining hands that surround the brothers. 

Alle nodded, charging forward and bringing her blade up, Mono and Six moving alongside her. 

Stub meanwhile, slugged another hand away from him and his injured brother, though another quickly took its place to charge them. Though it was quickly halted, once the remains of its soul were drained from it. 

The other three stopped, directing their fragmented attention to the matching number that came upon them. Stub acted on their sudden distraction, slamming the hammer down on one of them, the cracking of bones heard as the hand pancaked into the ground. 

Another one leapt at Mono, the teen responding by grabbing its fingers that grasped at him and throwing it to the ground, the hand quickly finished by Six draining it. The last one suddenly realized its situation, though still gave it no thought as it ran at Netty, seemingly intent on finishing one of them off.  

It was stopped in its tracks however, as Alle threw her sword, hitting it directly in the back of the hand and sending it flying over the youngest’s form, landing with a crack. The hand wasn’t done however, as it began pushing itself off the ground, turning around to face them, sword still stuck in its palm. 

Six merely responded by rolling her eyes, raising her hand throwing her shadow out and gripping the hand, the thing too damaged to even begin dodging the attack. 

The final hand dropped to the ground, the final piece of the Patient gone, most of it either lost to somewhere else or present within the Yellow Devil.  

A few seconds passed as the air became silent, the entire group taking deep breaths. Then, Stub ran over to his brother quickly kneeling beside him and checking him over, his eyes in a panicked state. Netty was covered in small cuts, grime covering him as well as blood. Thankfully, most of the cuts were superficial and his appearance was simply exaggerated. 

That didn’t stop Stub from tearfully hugging his brother, the youngest doing the same. Through a small gap in his silent sobbing, Stub managed to talk. 

“I-I thought you were dead...”  

Netty simply responded with a sad smile at his brother. “Come on Stub, you know me.” He responded with sarcasm. “As if I’d die to something like that.” 

The others watched in silence, before Mono walked up to Alle, a relieved look behind his mask. “Alle, are you alright, where have yo-” 

Alle however, interrupted him by giving him a hard, but not painful slap to his bagged face.  

Mono took the blow, standing still in his advance for a second before sighing.  

“I... guess I deserved that.” He finally said, turning to find Alle with her hands on her hips. 

She prodded a finger into his chest. “You deserve a lot more.” The bodyguard stated, annoyance apparent. “I thought you were dead.” 

The teen cast his eyes away in shame at that. “I know Alle, but I didn’t expect the adult to-” 

He then felt arms squish against his side interrupting him, as Alle hugged him tightly. The teen responded by pulling his arms out, wrapping them around his friend and returning it. 

Six meanwhile, watched whilst shaking her head at the four of them, more specifically the two teens. She remembered when she and Mono had hugged, the suffocating comfort that stopped them from getting cold in this damn city. She never understood why so many indulged in it, nor why Mono had always insisted on hugging her. 

She had never said no though.  

Still, she was getting bored of watching them and whistled a them, reminding them of their situation. The others indeed remembered where they were, separating from each other with Stub pulling his brother up and patting him down. 

Mono and Alle also separated, the former looking at his friend with confusion. “Where did you go? I told you to hide downstairs.” He asked. 

The bodyguard should her head. “We couldn’t, the Patient was roaming in the hallway, we couldn't go anywhere.” She explained, pointing behind her. 

Stub spoke up afterwards, Netty leaning on him. “We hid in a closet outside the theater, we stayed there for a while since...” He trailed off, eyes lingering on Netty, who simply nodded in understanding. 

“We only came out once we started to hear the alarm go off.” Alle stated, turning to Mono. “Since I knew it was something you might have done.” 

Mono rolled his eyes at her. “It was one time.” 

Alle shook her head at him. “More than once is cause for concern.” She scolded. 

The Yellow Devil clicked her fingers at them, getting their attention. “Do you know where the fuses are?” She asked, trying to get them on track. 

Alle pulled a face, head nodding to the way they came. “Maybe, we heard something walk past the closet we were in a few minutes after we ran.”  

Mono nodded at that, his mind formulating a plan. “We need to look for those fuses.” He turned his attention to the Brothers. “You two stay here and get the door open, we’ll go ahead and look for the fuses.”  

Stub and Netty frowned at that. “Are you sure it’s a wise idea to split up?” Netty asked with concern. 

The teen shook his head. “You’re in no condition to run Netty and I doubt Stub wants you to.” 

Both brothers shared a look at that before nodding at their Boss. Alle then stepped forward, looking Mono up and down before gesturing to his foot. “You look like you're in no condition to run either.” 

Mono shook his head, moving to step forward. “I’m fine Alle, we need to-” 

Alle stopped him however, pressing a foot onto his ankle and causing the boy to hiss and bend slightly at her test.  

“No, you’re not.” Alle reaffirmed, pointing to the Brothers. “Stay with the Brothers, we’ll get the fuses.” 

Six turned to look at the girl with slight annoyance, since when did she agree to this? But still, she couldn’t argue with her assessment, Mono was indeed at risk of slowing them down and the Brothers were in no condition either. 

Reluctantly, Mono nodded and walked over to the Brothers, though not before talking again. “Be careful, okay?”  

Alle nodded, turning to the entrance of the desk to begin leaving whilst Six approached Mono. She snapped her fingers at him, causing the teen to look at her with a raised eyebrow. Six stared at him for a moment, before taking a page out of Alle’s book...

And slapping the boy, not hard enough to leave a mark, but hard enough to get her revenge. 

The teen stumbled back from the blow, holding the cheek that had already been slapped once before. He lifted his gaze to hers, a look of frustration and offense written across his hidden features. “What was that for?!” He hissed out. 

“THAT...” Six answered, a smile on her lips. “Was for beating my senseless.” 

Confusion ran through the bag. “That was over a week ago...” 

The Yellow Devil simply kept smiling, running over to Alle as they both began to run down the hallway. As they did, Alle looked at Six, a slightly angry yet amused look on her face. 

“You just wanted to slap him since you saw me do it, didn’t you?” she asked. 

Six said nothing, instead plastering a look of fake innocence across her face. 

Where did that idea come from? 

The run into the theater was largely uneventful, the only thing happening being that they had to push the doors open again to make it past the theater and into the hallways again. Once they did, Alle pointed left, the opposite way her and Mono had been taken by the Surgeon. 

Six followed the girl down the hallway, Alle pointing to the closet they had been hiding in as they did, and following where she had heard the adult go. They came to another split of two paths, Alle running down the one that led left, feet nearly slipping on the wet floor. 

They ran down the hallway for a few seconds, feet making slight splashing sounds as they did so. Then, the two of them saw a door, slightly left ajar compared to the rest, suggesting it had been opened recently. 

Alle ran to the door, pulling it further open and peering inside. Six peered in as well, eyes scanning the small room and discovering... 

A storage room, filled with shelves of fuses, some in boxes labelled ‘Spares.’ 

Six stared for a few seconds, feeling nothing... 

Then, her head sagged downwards, a sigh passing from her lips that spoke of exhaustion and contempt. They could have come here all this time? Avoided going through all the trouble she and Stub had gone through, not to mention what the other group had gone through? 

It made her want to vent her anger... 

And judging by how Alle looked completely done with what she was seeing, she more than likely felt the same way. 

Still, they had what they needed and even if it was annoying to behold, they weren't going to complain. The pair quickly went about procuring two of the fuses, selecting them from a box that contained ones that looked almost brand new. 

The two then quickly exited the closet, running as quick as they could through the hallways without dropping the fuses or slipping. They turned the corner, knowing that they only needed to turn another two corners to get back. 

But then, they heard the telltale sound of feet clacking against the tiles, causing them to briefly stop and turn to where they came from. From around the corner opposite to the way they came, the Surgeon emerged, posture agitated and chest heaving with exertion. Its hidden eyes turned to them immediately, locking onto them with a hateful gaze for those who had caused so much disruption. 

More specifically, onto her. 

Six mentally sighed at that, once more her powers showed their downside. 

But that didn’t matter right now, all that mattered was running. 

Which they did. 

The pair ran, knowing they needed as much a head start as they could get. Six knew she had the option of trying to fight the adult, but given the fact it already knew her tricks and was much more agile than she had given it credit for, it was an unwise decision. 

To face it properly, they needed a tighter space. 

Six turned another corner as Alle did, the two running with fuses in hand away from the adult, the sound of its shoes heard at an increased pace as it chased. They made it halfway down the hallway, Six turning to see where the adult was and judge how long they had. 

The adult turned the corner, feet sliding around it to keep pace and... 

Promptly fell and spun around the other corner. 

The Surgeon had apparently forgotten in its chase that a wet floor combined with shoes that had poor traction and running didn’t exactly equal a good combination. Still, it didn’t matter to them, after all it bought them time. 

They then turned the final corner, running through the theater with its door open, the Surgeon having already propped itself back up and resuming its chase. As they ran through, Six whispered to Alle to shut the doors, the other teen nodding as they ran by them, buying them a slight amount of time.  

A few more seconds they ran, the hallway becoming shorter and shorter as they kept it up. Behind them the Surgeon reached the theater, nearly slamming into the door as it did and almost ripping the handle off with its strength as it opened it. 

The two then finally ran into the reception, seeing the doors leading downwards now open, along with the others standing at the top of the stairs. They rose from their seated positions, looking with concern and fear as the two ran towards them.  

As they got nearer, Six hissed at them. “Close the doors!” 

Mono and Stub responded, grabbing the doors and pulling them shut as they ran in, a wooden ‘thunk’ heard as they did.  

The Boss then pointed downwards, urging them to move, knowing that if the pair of them had been running that nothing good could be behind them. They descended down the stairs, feet producing a hard slapping sound as they ran down, three of them carrying items. 

Above them as they did, the Surgeon came into the reception, knowing that these little... pests had come this way. As it did however, it felt something, the same thing that it had felt that had drawn it to the others. Its head turned, seeing behind the desk a mess of hands, littered about and butchered, filled with nothing. 

It knew what they belonged to, its favorite one... 

Gloved hands and fake ones coiled tightly, limbs above shaking with unnatural rage that threatened to break them. These.... miscreants, failures of nature, parasites, would pay for this.  

Its head turned to the stairs, knowing there was only one way they could have gone. 

Those in question finished the final step, turning back into the fourth floor they had come from and began making their way to the elevator, knowing that the adult would follow. They continued to run, Mono having a slight limp as he did, whilst Netty gritted his teeth as his body ached.  

The final corner was then turned, the unpowered elevator before them, Alle and Six quickly running forward as they raced to plug in the fuses. The two teens inserted them as the others caught up, the elevator releasing a sound of electricity pumping through a long dormant machine. It churned slightly, lights flickering on its panel before it finally came to life, the doors opening and revealing the elevator within. 

Mono let a small smile come to his face at the sight, finally something good was happening.  

The group quickly climbed into the elevator, Mono able to reach and press the button labeled ‘1.’ 

Right as the Surgeon rounded the corner. 

The group made no sound as they looked at the adult, seeing how it looked down the other hallway before looking to theirs, seeing them standing in the elevator ready to move. It began to move towards them, steps quickly accelerating into a sprint. 

Mono responded by pressing the button again, eyes never leaving the masked adult. The adult continued to sprint towards them, Mono likewise continuing to press the button, increasing the rate at which he did as the surgeon of death got closer and closer. 

Another second passed and within another two, the adult would be upon them.  

But thankfully, fate seemed to be kind for once, as the gate for the elevator came across, sealing them from the adult as it was stopped from reaching them. Then, the elevator released a deep echoing sound of metal grinding, as it suddenly began to go down finally, the group watching as the Surgeon stared at them and disappeared from sight. 

The ride downwards brought a sense of relief, the Brothers collapsing to their knees and taking breaths, whilst Mono and Alle leaned against the wall, steadying themselves. Six meanwhile, simply took deep breaths, calming herself and watching the floors go by. 

Both floors they went past seemed similar in design, tiled floors and wall with the occasional medical equipment thrown haphazardly around. Though, as they went past the second floor, Six noticed a few Patients standing and staring at the elevator, seemingly alive yet not moving. 

Weird. 

The elevator then finally reached the first floor, a small ‘ding’ heard as it did and the gates opening noisily. A few seconds later, the group exited, cautiously looking down the hallway for anything that might emerge. When nothing did, most of them breathed sighs of relief, Mono turning to them and adressing them. 

“Ok, we’re nearly done, all we need to do now is-” 

He promptly cut himself off however, once the elevator doors shut themselves and the metal box began to move. 

Upwards. 

The group stared for a few seconds, before their eyes widened with realization. 

Six felt annoyance creep up at the sight, this damn adult was smarter than the rest, that was for sure. But still, that didn’t matter, as all that mattered now was getting away from it before it found them. 

Alle quickly led the charge, running forward down the hallway as the others followed, Mono being the last with his injury.