Before you read I need to note one final thing. You may notice quite a lot of spelling and or grammar mistakes in this story. This story holds my record of the most edits ever made in one of my fan fictions. In counting, it took 3 and a half edits over the course of one summer before this version came to be. Even as the fourth edit was being finished I was still working on some grammar errors, but seeing that I needed to move on from this story I left it how it is. Please don't get upset at how the sentence structure changes throughout chapters.

In short, this is an older fan fiction. Leave your complaints a minimum.

Listen

2:

We had a fight earlier about who was leader and who was follower. 1 told me that if I treated him this way again then we'd be through. I tried to convince him that we needed to stay together no matter what but the minute I brought up the man in white he left with out a word. I yelled an insult then walked off but something told me all was not well. I heard his voice scream and jumped out of the trench I had been hiding in.

"1!" 2 called to the figure fading into the gas-covered landscape.

He didn't care what they were previously arguing about, 1 was his comrade and they needed to stay together. The young stitchpunk ran strait into the green gas barley missing a falling body. Of course the gas didn't harm 2 but the way it killed all life around him was very intimidating. Finally he caught a glimpse of a limp rag doll body sprawled out across a piece of wood. "1?" 2 asked his unconscious friend. "Are you alright?"

2 flipped 1 on his back and gasped as the wound on his left leg. "Don't worry friend I'll save you." 2 flung 1's arm over his shoulder and carried him off. With such a war going on around them he could barely get farther then a few feet. The people screaming and the bombs falling around them was too much for just one little doll. 'Oh creator,' 2 thought, 'Give me a sign. Something? I can't do this alone.' As he silently prayed for help the sound of clanking metal chilled poor 2 to the armature. The walker, a war machine with a piercing red eye stomped through the land destroying everything in its path. Trying not to be spotted and at the same time keep 1 close, 2 ran into a mist of dust and gas hoping that he'd run into something that could keep him safe. Instead he fell strait into a pit and blacked out on top of a severed arm.

2 awoke a few minutes after but it felt as if he was barley alive. His neck was in pain and he didn't feel to good about moving his arm. At least the walker was gone. Maybe it didn't see him. Or maybe it had but thought he was dead. Either way that was one of his troubles now eliminated. 2 got up and glanced around for 1 but couldn't spot him anywhere. There was no point in calling his name. He wouldn't hear him any way.

If human, 2 would have likely fallen to the ground and cried. He failed to protect his comrade and now he was alone. However, 2 was not a human and did not face this reality willingly. No matter how much he felt like resting or tending his wounds he continued to search for his friend throughout the collection of mangled corpses. Finally he saw something sticking up that looked familiar. 1's bullet cap helmet. "1!" 2 exclaimed picking out his unconscious friend from a pile of flesh and bone. "Thank creator."

The war went on for hours and the pain kept getting worse. The only thing that made him continue was knowing his condition was only half as bad as his friends. Evening came but there was enough light to make it day. For the first time since he began to feel this awful pain, 2 put 1 down and felt his own wound. The armature was making a strange creaking sound. It was about time to stop thinking selflessly. If he did not rest soon neither of them would make it. 2 limped about the destroyed neighborhood searching for a place to spend the night. Right in the center of the avenue was an enormous building. Seeing that all the other homes had been ripped apart while this one only had a few gapping holes it looked like the perfection location. He made his way up the steps and dragged 1 in through a hole in the wall.

Tired, alone and thinking I was dead even for a few minutes, it was nice to finally rest after such a long day. Being in this place however made me believe someone else was there. Watching us. Or rather hearing us…

2 awoke a few hours after he passed out, still in pain. While limping out of the room and into a hall way he spotted something that gave him the greatest of hope. A sewing kit. Inside was everything he needed to fix their wounds. Scissors, needles, thread and fabric, it was all there. He took them out but noticed that there was no way he could see in the hall. It was almost pitch black. In fact, he could barely see his own hand in front of him, much less the wound on his leg. Just when 2 thought his troubles were getting worse by the minute he stumbled over a candle and into a pile of matches. He sighed, "Nothing is going right for me."

2 felt around for one of the needles but picked up a match and realized the good that came out of finding them. In only a few minutes he illuminated part of the hallway with a candle and finished his wounds successfully. "I guess it was just the pain of the moment," 2 thought aloud moving his joints.

They still weren't silent but at least they were being well kept. Now that his work was done, 2 noticed the dead bodies had followed him. He saw men and women dressed in black and white scattered everywhere in the hall. He was even shocked to see that one of the walls he had been leaning up against was actually a man's back. Not wanting to stay there any longer 2 tried his best to pick up the candle from it's rusty holder. The burning wax dripped everywhere and it was sure to burn him if he got to close and there was no way he could carry both it and the needles and thread. Suddenly he got an idea. Taking the sharp end of the scissors he started to shred down at the candleholder. Finding some lose wire 2 made the perfect device for working in the dark; A candle lit helmet.

He took the supplies he needed and started down the hall with the bodies fading behind him. It was just before reaching the room he entered from that he heard something. A soft ringing sound that felt as if something was coming towards him.

2 turned around to see if anything was there only to find a long dark hallway.

I thought something was in the place. No, not something, someone. My thoughts were set on a human but I imagine a human would make much larger noise walking around.

"What was that?" 2 asked himself. "I could have sworn something was behind me." 2 was cutting just the right patch of fabric out to cover up 1's wound when he heard 1 mumble something in his sleep. His constant groans made 2 realize that even in an unconscious state he was in pain. "Don't worry old friend," he said. "I'll fix you right up. At least we're safe now."

Just when the patch was complete and ready to be sewn on, 2 heard the ringing again. This time he did not just look behind him. "Hello? Who is that?"

The ringing sound continued but now it seemed to be getting farther away. 2 placed the patch down and went strait for the direction of the sound chasing it rapidly down the halls. Finally the ringing could no longer run off as it was stuck in the corner of a wall. "What in the world?" 2 said putting out his hand. The horrified figure got up and dashed away. Of all things he'd think he see in an old building 2 never thought one of them would be another stitchpunk. It was quick and something around its head made it hard to see the face, but it was a stitchpunk for sure.

"No wait!" 2 called, "Please don't run off. I wont harm you!"

2 chased the sound of ringing knowing that it belonged to the rag doll. After awhile he realized that chasing the poor thing probably wasn't going to earn its trust.

Once he cornered it again, he kept himself at a good distant. "Listen…what ever you may be. I won't harm you," he said calmly. "I need help and as long as I know there's someone hiding here I wont pass up any opportunity to ask. Please? Will you assist me?"

Remarkably a hand, blank and wire like, reached out of the darkness and grabbed his. The figure came into view. Around it's neck was a grayish blue scarf attached to a hood. Peeking out of the scarf was a silver Christmas bell that chimed as the stitchpunk moved. The face of the creature was still hidden under the hood. "Perhaps…" A raspy voice said from under it. The voice was obviously female and sounded frightened and uneasy. Of course none of this stopped 2's enthusiasm.

"Oh my what joy," he said happily. "I can't believe our luck. Not only did we find safety but another of our kind! Tell me dear, are you the third?"

"Third?" the stitchpunk whispered, "What do you mean third?"

2 jumped back the minute the hood revealed her whole face. Her head wasn't really all that different. In fact her head was the exact same model of his own, just a bit smaller.

It was her optics. While 1 and 2 spared white, fairly clean optic lenses, this stitchpunk's optics were severely damaged. The pupils were small and hard to see under a hazy brownish grey. They were cracked and had tiny rocks stuck between those cracks.

"Are… are you in any pain?" 2 couldn't help but ask.

"No, why you ask?" The female said running her hands up and down his neck and torso.

"You have interesting shoulders you do," She said smiling brightly. Her optics blinked slowly with a light crunching noise, "Are you going to stay here?"

At the moment 2 did not want to stay. He did not feel quite as threatened by the girl as he did uncomfortable. Suddenly her raspy voice picked up. "Ah! Your head is burning!" she said spotting his newly constructed helmet. "May I see?"

"Of course…" 2 said taking off his helmet and giving it to her. By now he began to notice some other rather unusual features about this new stitchpunk. How odd it would be to give him, an older version fully constructed hands while a third installment had hands like wire. Her cloth body stopped at the knees and the rest of her legs were a rusty armature. There was no number on her back and her torso was jointed together. "What happened to you?" The female did not answer his question. She just kept examining the candle helmet.

"Oh… bright!" she said watching the flame, "Will it hurt me if I touch it?"

"Yes!" 2 said swiping the helmet away so that she didn't hurt herself. The action scared the stitchpunk and she fell backwards. "I'm sorry," h sighed. "It's just I've been in the war zones for a while and I desperately need shelter. I'm called 2, are there any others here with you?"

"No. I live here all alone," the female quivered. "I'm sorry. I'm sure you're very upset with my behavior. I'll go away if you wish."

"No, no…jus-" 2 groaned, "Just come here for a minute."

I didn't know what to say or do about her. She was just… here, as if nothing happened. I always thought that finding another one of us would be grand but I found her a bit disturbed.

"So who is this any way?" The female asked leaning over 1.

"This is 1," 2 said. "He's injured and I'm trying to save him."

The female scratched her wire hands up against 1's face and smiled, "Well I'm sure he'll be alright. Where is his wound?"

"Over there on his leg."

The female looked at 1's leg wound gently rubbing the out side surface then began to reach inside and feel around. "Be careful! You'll hurt him!"

"But he will be in far worse pain if I do not do this."

"What do you mean-"

Much to 2's surprise the female pulled out part of a bullet wedged between the mechanics of 1's leg. "There we go," she said crunching her eyes shut and opening them again. "I think he'll walk much better without this in the way."

2 took the bullet examining it then feeling the wound. "How did you know that was there? I mean…how did you see it?"

"I didn't see it. I could feel it," the female said, "Can't you?"

"I couldn't feel that," 2 said as he pieced together what the rag doll had done. "Miss, you can't see?"

"Yes."

"So you use your senses of touch and hearing to know where something is?"

"Yes."

"That's incredible," 2 exclaimed. "That's a gift even I'd die to have. A very smart one too."

"No it isn't," The female said bashfully. "I still can't see."

"Stop your joking, you saved 1. Don't be so hard on yourself," 2 said exchanging a smile. "Is there anything I can do to make it up to you?" The female embraced 2 as if ready to weep. 'What on earth is she doing?'

She spoke, "Just don't leave this place 2. I want you to stay. Don't leave me alone. Please?" 2 realized that this stitchpunk's condition was much worse then he thought.

"How long have you been alone Miss?" He asked her.

"As long as I can remember…and I don't remember a lot." she said.

"How did you get here?" The female just shook her head, as if trying to with strain herself of a bad memory.

"Oh never mind. I won't leave. We can't anyway. Not with this war going on," 2 laughed, "It's funny. I've introduced myself yet I haven't bothered to ask who you are. What's your name?"

"Name?" The female said, "What's a name?"

"You know, a name dear," 2 said, "What did he call you?"

"Who?"

"Th-the man in white. The scientist."

"Who's he?"

"You don't have a name?" 2 asked in astonishment. For him it was disturbing for another member of his kind to know nothing of the scientist, "Did you ever call yourself anything?"

"No," she said. "I am just…me. All that I know is that I live here, I'm made of fabric, I can't see well and I simply love my bell."

"Well," 2 shrugged, "You can't just wander around nameless. What about 3? If you are the third that is."

"I'm telling you 2," The female giggled, "I have no idea what this 3 is." 2 was about to done the female 3 when he spotted yet another feature about her. Three letters beneath her arm and on her chest, P-R-O and a period mark. "Prrr…Ppprrrrroooww…Prooo…Pro?" 2 repeated. "Pro?"

"And now this nonsense about a pro creature. You're a tease 2."

"No I think that's your name," 2 said. "Pro."

The female looked confused slowly piecing together the pieces in her mind to find out what he meant. "Pro?" she repeated, "Pro…How lovely! I've always wanted to be called something! This is grand!" She stood up and laughed giddily, "Hello Pro. My name is Pro. I'm a Pro. Pro, Pro, Pro!" she giggled. "May I call you something?"

"You can just call me 2."

"Hm, well that's good enough for me," Pro. said hugging him. "2…my dearest friend."

Deep beneath that meek, almost frightening exterior however was pure gold. And I knew it. I wanted to be with this person, peculiarities aside. I wanted to protect her from harm. In that one embrace I knew we'd be friends till the end.

Suddenly 1 gave a large groan and Pro. released 2. "Oh! 1 is awake, how delightful!" she chimed. 2 was about to join her when he remembered who 1 was.

"Wait a minute Pro," 2 said. "1 isn't to fond of stangers. I suggest you keep a distance."

He said this to late and Pro. was already seated by 1 leaning right over his face optic to optic. "Hello 1!" she said, "I'm so happy to see you're alright."

Briefly opening his optics to see a black foggy pair starring at him, 1 screamed and jumped back.

"Get away from me!" 1 said pushing Pro. away.

He got up and yelped in pain stroking his leg and the gash on it. Pro. approached him, "Are you alright?"

"Don't come near me!" 1 screamed. "Back away you….you…wretch!"

"1 calm down. She wont hurt you." 2 said.

"Who is she?" 1 asked falling over, "What is she doing here?"

2 saw Pro's anticipation at being introduced and sighed, "1, this is Pro. She means us no harm."1 looked at 2 for the longest time. As if to say: "You must be joking me."

Pro. seemed to be hundreds of miles away. Her black eyes crunched slowly as she blindly stared at 1.

"It's so very nice to meet you 1," she said nearing him. "Do you need help on that leg?"

1 brushed her hands away from his arm and tried to stand upright. Anything as long as it meant it would make this wretch leave him be. "Ahem," he scoffed, "I can manage perfectly fine without assistance madam, thank you. Now spare me some personal space."

"Oh…you speak so triumphantly…" Pro. squeaked, "I like that!" 1 cringed at her rather unsettling collection of words and limped over to 2. "Why is she here?" he whispered to, "And where are we any way?"

Pro. jumped up to 1's back and giggled, "Why this is my home. I live here with me and myself. You should stay here. You've probably had quiet a hard day what with the-"

"The war?" 2 asked thinking perhaps she would tell them something. Instead she let go of 1's shoulder and backed away.

"As I was saying I'll show you around if you'd like," Pro. said, "Follow me you two. There are some wonderful rooms to stay in."

1 and 2 blankly watched Pro. as she disappeared into the darkness. She popped back out, "Well don't be bashful, come along."

When she left again, 1 took 2 by the shoulder and started to drag him away. "What are you doing?" he asked.

"Come on 2, we're leaving."

"What?" 2 asked, "What about Pro? What will she do?"

"Mumble unimportant nothings to herself," 1 said, "Why should we care about her? She's just a meek lunatic."

2 would probably listen to 1 if he were telling him this when he first met Pro.

Now the thought of leaving felt selfish. Pro. was simply a bit air-headed and obviously had terrible social skills. Which made sense if she was telling the truth about being alone all her life. "No 1," 2 said. "I'm not leaving. I know you might think Pro's some type of…loon but I think she's a good person. Who knows, you may get to enjoy her company."

"Me?" 1 asked. "Enjoying the company of that frightful mess? Don't be ridiculous."

2 wriggled from 1's grasp feeling as though his efforts had been avoided, "Fine. Start another argument. I'm staying here with Pro. You can leave if you want to."

With that 2 proudly walked after his new comrade.

1 stayed behind and grunted, "Fine!" he called. "Go insane with her, see if I'll care. I'm leaving this place to find some real-" As if to purposefully silence him a distant scream from the war outside echoed through the empty halls.

"…wait for me!"