Out There Reimagined Chapter 8: Search

11 had been sharpening her spears on the ground floor, thinking about all that had happened. A new Stitchpunk, she had never imagined seeing that in a million years. The news about 2 had been shocking as well. Just how long had 1 been sending him out there? More questions entered her mind when she heard the elevator coming down. She turned her head to see 5, 16, and the newcomer 9 coming out and heading for the exit. "Wait a minute, where do you think you're going?" she said, grabbing 5 by the arm.

5 sighed, deciding to give her the truth. "We're going to rescue 2." he said.

11's eyes went wide. "What?! But you heard the Old Man's orders, you're not supposed to leave! He's already sore at you about going out once, who knows what he'll do to you if he finds out you pulled this off!" she said.

"11, I can't just sit here and leave 2 to die." 5 said. "We've lost too may of us already, and I regret not going after them every day. I'm not going to regret leaving him as well." 5 said. "Why don't you come with us? I know you don't agree with 1 and his rules, so why wait here?"

"5, no." 11 said, her voice turning cold. "I wish I went out to find them too, but the truth is that they're gone and there's nothing we can do to get them back. If they were still alive they would've come back by now. And just because I don't agree with 1's rules doesn't mean I'm about to run off on a crazy rescue mission."

"Well it might be crazy, but at least I'm doing what's right." 5 said before continuing on his way out. 9 and 16 stood there for a moment, unsure of how to respond. The two just followed 5 to the exit.

11 watched as they walked away. "You're just chasing after the dead. Why can't you just move on?" she said, returning to her spears.

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"Actually, I don't mind having one eye." 5 explained to 9 as they walked. "It's easier. Allows me to concentrate on one thing at a time, you know?"

“Are we there yet?” 16 complained. It had only been an hour since they had left and already he was causing trouble for 9 and 5. “We need to be faster if we're going to make it in time! I know! Maybe if I make this really awesome automobile of some kind, we can get there in an instant! Then we can save 2 twice as fast!” 16 ran off to look in the nearest pile of junk he could find.

“Does he always act like this?” 9 asked, looking at 5.

“Unfortunately...” 5 sighed. "He's impossible for me to control. At least on my own."

The two continued on their way, while 16 kept stopping so he could pick up pieces of junk. He claimed that they were for an invention that could get them there faster. Eventually, 5 told him to lose the junk before they left him behind. Disappointed, he sulked behind as they went on. “Don't worry, he'll be over it in a few minutes.” 5 told 9. And he was right. Soon after he had gotten in that mood, he was out of it and began blabbering on about something else. 9 and 5 just ignored him though. “Say 9, did you see anybody else when you were out here?” 5 asked out of nowhere.

“Um...no. 2 was the only one I saw.” 9 answered.

“Oh. I see.” 5 said, his head hanging down.

"I'm sorry 5, really I-" 9 tried to say.

"Don't worry about it. It was a silly question to begin with." 5 said.

Eventually, the three came across the area where 9 had last seen 2. “And we return to the scene of the crime!” 16 said. “Search the area for evidence!” 16 ran off, leaving 5 and 9 to examine the overturned skate. All the items that had been placed on it had scattered around the area. The mechanic gasped upon noticing an item. 9 looked over to see him holding an old black lock in his hands. He looked at it with regret.

"Is something wrong, 5?" 9 asked.

5 snapped out of his thoughts and looked back at the newcomer. "Oh, uh, it's nothing. This just reminded me of someone who was close to me." he answered. "I just...need to take this with me. There's someone who would want it." He opened his bag and placed the lock inside. 9 wished he could understand what was so important about the lock, but he knew that now was not the time nor place to be asking about it.

5 joined 16 at the top of a pile of junk, having been called up there by the inventor, while 9 stayed on the ground to keep searching. He found 2's weapon lying on the ground, exactly where it had been left. “Aha! A clue, perhaps?” he heard 16 say. Curious, he joined the other two to see 5 holding 2's candle hat. Not soon after he had picked it up did it fall apart. “Nice job 5! You broke it! I busted my butt off working on that!” 16 said. However, his comment went ignored.

“Why was he out here alone?” 5 asked.

9 walked over to his side, hoping to comfort his friend. “We'll find him. I'm sure of it.” he said.

“Now then, back to adventure!” 16 said, running off in the direction of the tall shapes.

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Another half an hour had passed, the shapes now closer than before. The winds had to picked up, making it harder to move on. The three Stitchpunks had to shield their eyes from all the dust and sand flying in front of their faces. Their vision was limited in these conditions. “Where's this tunnel?!” 9 asked, as 5 stared at the map.

“I don't know!” 5 yelled out. Suddenly, the map blew right out of his hands. 5 began to chase after it with 9 and 16 following behind him. The map got caught against a loose wooden board. Thinking that it was safe to grab it, 5 headed straight for it. But the ground underneath him gave way, nearly sending him to his death. Luckily, 9 and 16 caught his arms, keeping him from being a goner. As they helped him back up, the map blew away out of their reach.

“Nice job 5, now you've lost the map!” 16 yelled out. “This road trip is turning out to be a real bummer!”

“We should go back!” 5 said. The three Stitchpunks were about to turn around, but the strong winds prevented them from returning the way they had came. There was no choice but to go forward.

“We can't!” 9 yelled out.

“Hey guys, look over there!” 16 called out, pointing to a large tunnel a short distance away. The three of them ran over to it as fast as they could in hopes to avoid being blown away.

Upon reaching the entrance, 5 looked down and noticed a strange footprint bigger than them. He already knew what made that footprint, as there was only one creature that could. “The Beast...” he said. The group looked ahead into the dark tunnel that was before them. The Beast had gone this way for sure. 16 was about to rush in there, but 5 grabbed him by the shoulder before he had the chance. “Wait! It's too dark!”

9 looked around, his eyes coming across a broken down truck with a broken headlight, the bulb still intact. “We can use that.” he said, pointing to it. 5 walked over to the headlight and removed the lightbulb. Once he brought it over to 9, he took a battery out and connected the two items together. With a spark from his finger, the bulb lit up. 16 starred at it as if he was entranced with the light. “Wait!” 9 said once 5 separated the items. He dug through 5's bag, taking out what was left of 2's hat. He removed the blade on 2's weapon and placed it in the bag. After making a few adjustments to the hat, he placed it on what used to be a spear and placed the battery inside. He placed the bulb in and twisted it, the light turning on.

“Ooooo...” was all 16 could say.

5 smiled a little. “2 would be impressed.” he said, the smile fading away afterwards.

9 placed his hand on 5's shoulder. “We'll find him.” he said as he walked into the tunnel.

“You know, you're just like him. You forget to remember to be scared.” 5 said as he followed 9.

“At least I'm not as bad as 16.” 9 joked, receiving a laugh from 5 and a “Hey!” from 16.

As they traveled further into the tunnel, two figures came across the map that had blown away, caught against another piece of loose wood. Their eyes turned to the tunnel where 5, 9, and 16 had just entered. Knowing their destination, they followed after the Stitchpunks.

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When they emerged from the tunnel, 5, 9, and 16 found themselves face to face with a huge building. It looked like some kind of factory. “Can I wait here?” 5 asked, afraid to go inside. 9 just shook his head as he headed for the entrance.

“Come on 5, grow some backbone!” 16 said, dragging 5 by his arm to the entryway.

“Why me?” 5 said.

Once inside, the three saw Walkers lined up, ready to be deployed. They were thankfully offline, but they still looked intimidating. “Why would it bring him here?” 5 asked.

“Maybe it was hungry and wanted some lunch!” 16 joked, receiving harsh glares from his companions. In front of them, they saw a dark pathway that led to the depths of the fortress. 9 turned off the light as they went down. Once they got to the end, they found themselves in some kind of large room, the Beast nowhere to be found. In front of them was a large puddle of oil. “So where's 2? I'd like to get this over with as soon as possible.” 16 said.

9 and 5 began to search the room for the elder. 5's eye came across a huge cage at the top of a pile of rubble. Inside the cage was a lone figure. “There!” he said, scrambling to the top as 9 and 16 followed behind. When they reached the top, they saw 2 lying there motionless. “2? T-2?” 5 asked, lightly shaking the elders shoulder. He received no response, and the three assumed the worse. They were too late.

2 began to open his eyes, feeling 5's hand on his shoulder. He turned his head and smiled at them. “I knew you would come.” he said, resting his hand on 5's. They all looked up at him, relieved that he was okay.

“I thought-” 5 began, but 2 shushed him, pointing in the other direction. 9 walked over slowly and saw the Beast. It was digging through a pile of some kind, as if it was searching for something. 9 wondered what it could be looking for as he returned to the cage to help 5 and 16 free 2. However, it didn't take long for them to be discovered by the Beast and they had to run for their lives.

The four tried to fight it off with no success. The best they could do was stall it. They were quickly cornered by the Beast, preparing for the worst. Suddenly, they heard a strange noise. They turned their heads to see two small figures, one of which threw something on the it's mouth to keep it shut. The two ran on top of the creature, trying to fight it off. As the Beast removed a piece of armor off of the first one, the second was piercing it with their fingers. Once the first had recovered, they jumped in the air, rising their spear in the air. Their companion moved to the side of the Beast, as the spear made a clear cut through the Beast's neck, decapitating it. As the body fell to the ground, the two warriors jumped down in front of the Stitchpunks. They were the same size as them. One was wearing a skull over their head, while the other wore a dark blue cloak. “Don't eat me! I don't taste good!” 16 said, scared out of his wits. The two removed their headwear, revealing their identities. They were both Stitchpunks, females from the way they looked.

16 looked at the two Stitchpunks, and his mouth hung open in amazement. 2 and 5 were surprised as well. “7?! 15?!” 5 said in amazement.

“I don't believe it!” 2 said as he and 5 walked over to their saviors. 9 stared at the one with the skull helmet with a dumbfounded look on his face. There was something about her that interested him. 5 looked over at 9 and motioned him over to meet the two. 2 went up to the two girls and hugged them. 7 was surprised, but she hugged him back. 15 hugged him right away, happy to see him again. “I had thought the worst had happened to you, my dear!” 2 said before releasing the girls.

“I missed you too. A lot.” 15 said. She looked over at the inventor, who was still sitting there with his mouth hung open. “Are you alright?” she asked, laughing slightly.

“Who are you and what have you done with 15?” 16 said, mostly joking. 15 placed her hand against her forehead and shook her head at his stupidity.

“I guess some things never change. Still, it is good to see you again.” 15 said, lightly punching his arm.

“You've come back!” 5 said, unable to be any happier.

“We never left.” 7 said, pulling out the map she had found. “You've finally decided to join the fight.”

9 approached 7 with the arm shield that had fallen off of her before. “You dropped this.” he said as he handed the shield to her.

7 took the shield and placed it back around her arm where it belonged. “Where have you been hiding?” she asked. 15 approached 9, and began to look him over.

She smiled and said, “So you're 9. It's wonderful to finally meet you.”

“Rusty, shot, hacked-together, piece of-Oof!” 2 said, kicking the Beast's head. He hopped on one foot for a moment from the pain, then turned around to 5 and laughed.

9 watched as the others were talking with each other. Everyone looked so happy. It was perfect. However, that perfection was not meant to last as a round object nearby caught his eye. It was the same one he had found when he awakened, the one the Beast had been after. As he walked over to examine it, he heard 16 say, “This is awesome! We're all together here and having fun! What could possibly go wrong?”

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5, 7, 9, 15, and 16 ran outside the factory as fast as they could. Once they made it out, they began to hide behind a piece of debris nearby. They were lucky to have made it out alive, as they had just encountered something worse than the Beast. They had just faced it's creator, who 9 accidently awakened by plugging in the round object he had found, which killed 2 in the process. By defeating the creature that had plagued them for so long, another stronger one had come to life.

5 was huddled down on the ground, going hysterical and slightly rocking in place. “I knew we shouldn't have come! Why?! Why did you do that?!” he said as he begun to shake 9, being affected the most by 2's death.

“I didn't know! I'm sorry!” 9 said. 5 stared at him, panting from all the running they had to do. “I'm sorry...” he repeated. 5 just looked down in despair. 15 went to his side to try and comfort him, hugging him to the best of her ability. She was also affected greatly by 2's death, more than 9 knew.

"It'll be alright 5, trust me. It's going to be alright." she told him quietly.

“What were you thinking?!” 7 asked.

“Wow. For once, I'm not the one getting yelled at!” 16 said.

The five of them suddenly heard strange sounds coming from the factory, and saw smoke coming from the top of the building. 15 clenched her arms and mumbled to herself, “It has begun...”

“What do we do now?” 5 asked.

7 and 15 looked at each other and just silently nodded their heads. “We know where we can find answers.” 7 said. she placed the skull helmet back over her face and ran off, 15 placed her hood up and followed after her. Knowing they had no other choice, the boys began to follow the two girls who knew where they were going.

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A few hours later, the group reached their destination. It was a huge library not too far from Sanctuary. 7 had already entered the building, while 15 and the others followed behind. Once inside, 9 came across a painting lying on the ground. He switched on the light staff to get a better look. It depicted a grass covered field with plants everywhere, a small building in the background. “Is this what it was like?” he asked as 5, 15, and 16 came closer.

“Yeah. This is supposedly how the world was before the machines.” 15 said. She walked closer to the painting and placed her hand on it. “It must have been beautiful. It's such a shame that we couldn't have seen it and experienced it for ourselves.” she said, looking back at 9. "I hope that one day, the world will be like this once again..."

“Yeah, yeah, whatever. Can we talk about something interesting please?” 16 complained. 15 just stared at him and muttered something under her breath. Something about "his stupid hat".

“Keep up!” 7's voice echoed from deeper inside the library. The four of them moved on, as 15 took one last look at the painting. When they caught back up with 7, they entered a huge globe and found themselves surrounded by all kinds of objects. In front of them was a large book that was already opened. A rustling sound was heard, and 5, 9, and 16 turned their heads to the source of the sound. From behind a container popped out two identical Stitchpunks with hoods over their heads. On the sides of their chests were the numbers 3 and 4.

“No way!” 16 said with a smile.

“They've been here? All this time?” 5 said. The two walked over to him, and 5 pet them on their heads. 16 came over and high-fived them.

“Twins!” 9 exclaimed. The two Stitchpunks became startled by the presence of the newcomer and began to hide behind 7 and 15.

“Don't worry you guys, 9 isn't going to hurt you. He's a friend.” 15 said, trying to reassure the twins.

“They've been hiding here. Lost in the past. Looking for answers.” 7 said. 3 and 4 ran over to 9 and began flashing their eyes like crazy. They examined every detail of his body as everyone else watched in amusement.

“Oh man! I forgot how funny this could be!” 16 said, trying to hold back laughter. 5 and 15 both laughed a little, remembering what it was like for them.

“They're cataloging.” 7 explained to 9.

3 looked at 9's zipper and pulled it down, getting a shocked reaction from him. They noticed the light staff turn on from his jump and became interested in that. 4 took the lightbulb from the device and began to catalogue it, her brother following.

“We need your help.” 7 said, gaining the twins' attention. “We...awakened something.”

“No, I awakened something. Something terrible.” 9 corrected. The twins clicked to each other, talking. They ran over to the large book, and 4 placed the bulb back where it belonged. They flipped through the pages of the large book, and as soon as 9 saw a picture of the Machine he called out, “That's it!” 4 pulled on a string underneath the picture, which told them where they needed to go. They got upon an elevator, the other Stitchpunks following. 3 pushed the lever, sending them upwards. 9 looked at all the various things they had collected and organized as they went further up. 3 pushed the lever again, stopping the elevator. He and his sister ran off to look for something, while the other five followed them. The twins returned holding up a newspaper article. In the picture on the side stood two men, in between them was a big round eye like object. The others recognized it as the eye of the Machine. 4 began to use her to project a film on a nearby book.

The film showed one of the men from the picture, he was apparently known as the Chancellor. It went on to show the Machine creating a Walker, saying it was a machine of peace. The images became worse as it went on. It showed the Walkers shooting innocent civilians. It was showing them that what they had awakened was what brought the humans to their death. The film ended, and 9 was shocked by what he had just seen. But he hadn't seen anything about what had been used to bring it back.

“But the thing that woke it! It was round, and imprinted with strange symbols!” he said, describing it to the twins. 15 looked up. She had seen something like that many times before. But was it the same thing she thought it to be? 3 and 4 flashed to each other, but shrugged their arms. They had no idea what he was talking about. 9 looked around, and noticed that 15's fingers were made of pen nibs. He took her hand and brought it to a nearby piece of paper. “It looked like this.” he said, as he used 15's hand to draw it out. “It fit perfectly, into the Machine. As if it were made for it...”

15 looked at what he was drawing. It was what she thought it was. The thing that she had drawn many times and seen in her head. “The Source...” she said in a whisper.

“That's what 6 always draws!” 5 exclaimed. 15 turned her head hearing the prophet's name.

“Oh yeah! It is! Isn't that the same thing you draw sis?” 16 asked, but she didn't respond. She was lost in her thoughts.

“6?” 9 asked confused.

“He's an...artist...like myself.” 15 said, trying to be careful with her choice of words. She didn't want 9 to think she was crazy too.

“2 collected his drawings. He was always studying them.” 5 said.

9 remembered how he thought someone was watching him back at Sanctuary. It had to have been this 6. “We have to go back.” he said.

“What?! Go back to 1?! So he can lock us away while this nightmare awakens?!” 7 said. She placed the skull over her head. “Never.” Once she said that, she jumped down from the platform and went on her way.

9 looked at 5 and 16. “Come on, let's go.” he said. They walked out of the globe, beginning their journey back to Sanctuary. As the three of them were about to head out the entrance, they heard someone shout out to them.

“Wait!” 9 turned around to see 15 running after them. Once she caught up to them she began to explain herself. “If you're going, than so am I.” she said.

“But...won't 7 be mad at you?” 5 asked.

“If she gets mad, I don't care. I'm still going. Besides, I need to go back. There's something important I have to do. Something I should've done a long time ago...” she said. Although 9 didn't know what she was talking about, 5 and 16 knew exactly what she meant.

“Well, let's go then.” 9 said.

15 removed the cloak and threw it on the ground. "I'm not letting you lock me up either. I'd rather be there than here." 15 said, looking back at the library interior.

5 placed his hand on her shoulder to get her attention. She turned her head back to see her old lock in his other hand. "I believe that this belongs to you."

15 happily took the lock and held it in her hands. She looked up at 5 with a smile. "Thank you." she said.

"You look better with it on. It's strange seeing you without it." 5 said.

The four of them headed out the door, heading for where all the answers would be.