Author's Notes: Shortest chapter ever :O This is the first big action sequence. Lots of changes happen quickly here. The line between the Stitchpunk and their clones is symbolically destroyed and redrawn during this chapter. Allegiances will change in the next chapter.

Part V: Destroyed Lines

Tzarina was sitting on a high, fallen metal beam in the long Beast-highway. She sat upon the beam like a leopard in a tree. From below she spotted two Stitchpunk. The pair was similar in their pale color, but their body types couldn't be any more different. The leading doll was elderly and scrawny. The follower was younger and huge. Tzarina stood up and addressed 10 and 8.

"It's good you showed up, Stitchpunk elder," She called sardonically, "My leader would be very pleased to see you."

"I'm not going to be playing games with you heinous, red-eyed demons!" 10 spat throwing a finger at her, "Get her!"

At the command, 8 sprinted toward the beam and Tzarina leapt off. The black doll sprinted swiftly as a cheetah while 8 pursued her, with his leader behind him. He was unable to attack; the shadowy doll was too far ahead.

The pace of 10 and his loyal guard stumbled as their lungs were filled with a sour, acrid stench. They continued to pursue the fiend who didn't seem bothered by the smell. 10 recognized it as the killing-gas that devoured the world during the time of fire and metal. It seemed that the deathly gas had dissipated from everywhere but that one dark hall. The Stitchpunk were unaware Tzarina was leading them right into Negative's throne room.

Slasher and the cloaked doll turned their heads at the sound of her pattering paws. Negative's lips parted to say something, but Tzarina bolted right past him and flew up metal raptors. She stopped close to a hole in the ceiling and gazed down as 10 and 8 entered Negative's lair.

"You questioned me about Negative," Tzarina said, "Here's your answer."

The black doll slipped away onto the roof of the Factory. For a short moment 10 and Negative were frozen in fear, seeing a clone of themselves staring into their eyes. 8 and Slasher quickly snapped out of their absent-mindedness.

"You call that little scrap a leader!" Slasher crowed mockingly, "He couldn't lead his way out of a paper bag!"

"1 is the better leader!" 8 bellowed furiously, "Um, I mean, 10 is the better leader!"

"I've stepped on bugs bigger than that!" The red doll slammed a hoof into the ground.

"Well, your guy wares a dress!" 8 responded.

"And your guy has a stupid hat!"

"Comon 1! Show that girly-dress-wearing guy who's better!" 8 snorted nudging 10 toward the Hybrid elder.

"Negative will eat your leader!" Slasher roared shoving Negative foreword.

The two elders were pushed into one another's noses. Both of them took a few nervous steps away. The slow witted guards both cheered them to fight. There was a moment of stillness until 10 lifted his claws. Negative shied away, his tail curling into his legs.

In a blur of gold, 10 made the first move, but his gold claw hit nothing. Negative slithered away while 10 attempted to claw at his face. The Stitchpunk pounced on his foe and brought him to the floor. The while doll's feet flailed, trying to escape, but 10 firmly held him down with his weight. Negative howled shrilly as his arms were pulled behind his back. The snake wriggled free and impacted 10's head with his stinger.

The Stitchpunk elder thrust a fist into the Hybrid's sunken-in stomach. 10 pulled his arms back, clutching his staff in both claws and swung it forward into Negative's head. The Hybrid collapsed to the floor with oil leaking form a spot hidden by his hood. 10 felt a strange devilish joy in defeating his foe. The Stitchpunk loomed over Negative, extending his powerful claw. Negative's head lifted groggily and put up a hand.

"Sick them!" Negative commanding snapping his claws.

Slasher's lips wrinkled away to reveal his massive teeth. His needles rose up and he was twice as big. With a massive boom, he jumped toward 8. The huge Stitchpunk wailed as the needle fingers impaled his shoulders. Slasher closed his jaws around 8's face. Being unable to see anything but the inside of the red doll's massive maw, 8's arms flailed until he snatched Slasher's tail. The spiked doll was ripped away and slammed into the floor. Slasher was only still for a moment, then his hooves thrusted toward the heavyset Stitchpunk.

Slasher had missed and was lifted by 8 and thrown into a pile of gas bombs. The red doll bolted out of the rubble moments later and jumped at 8. The Stitchpunk's fist impacted the skinny doll's face and he was forced to the ground again. 8 may have been stronger by far, but Slasher was the faster of the two. Before he could think to defend, Slasher's long tail rocketed foreword. Power and a sharp stab pulsed through the Stitchpunk after the syringe penetrated his gut.

10 looked away from the gore and fallowing howl of pain and saw the white Hybrid half-way up the raptors. The Sanctuary king pursued the coward. Negative yelped and skittered faster toward the hole in the roof.

"Come back, you Beast!" Threatened 10 as he crawled up and after Negative, "I demand to know where the other Stitchpunk are!"

8 saw his leader leaving after Negative and pulled Slasher's tail out of him and threw him aside again. The heavyset doll crawled up after 10, oil trickling from a few needle-holes. The guard bit back the pain from the syringe for the sake of protecting his leader. Slasher was quick to go after the three, bleeding out of wounds of his own.

In a darkened corner, Sparks watched the four wounded dolls exit to the roof of the Factory. The gray creature trembled helplessly, his wires throwing stars. Sparks knew of only one group he could turn to; he had to find other Stitchpunk!

3 slid down the steep convater belt and into the dark basement room once again. He looked up at 4 and 6 and shook his head sadly. Once that barrel was pushed down into that room, there was no way to get back up. The room was so dark and dismal, little hope was allowed the escape the trio of Stitchpunk.

"6? Twins?" Rasped a hushed voice.

They turned toward the voice. 4's eyes illuminated the dark place and it was revealed that 2 has been tied up and thrown into the basement. Both elated to see the old doll, while troubled that he had been captured, the twins and 6 sprinted to his side. 2's legs and wrists were unbound and he was helped to his feet.

There was a brief time of joy and hugs all around, but then the severity of their situation rose into reality again. They were literally surrounded by machines and unsure where they were. After a warning to be extremely careful, 2 started to lead the three quieter Stitchpunk.

"There's a dark passage leading down. It's the only way out," 2 said pointed toward a hole with piping leading down below, "Stay close."

There was a flickering, red glow shining from under the heavy iron door with the fascist symbol upon it. The door was bent and jutted out toward them. Judging by its distortion, behind the door was where the explosion that destroyed the Factory priory had occurred - behind the door was the Fabricator's chamber.

"We'll definitely be able to fit under that gap," 9 said pointing his staff at the bottom of the slide-down barrier, "In order to get the talisman back, we need someone to distract the Machine while someone else grabs it. I'm almost positive the talisman is powering that thing."

"Wait!" Squeaked a Hybrid voice.

9, 5 and 7 turned and saw Sparks sprinting up to them on all fours. While the other two didn't seem bothered, 7 tensed at the sight of the red-eyed doll. Sparks pushed himself into standing position and caught his breath for a few moments.

"What do you want, Beast?" 7 rumbled.

"No, no, he's not a Beast. He's a friend," 5 said, he and Sparks have had time to speak briefly earlier.

"What is it?" 9 asked, slightly skeptical of how much he could trust the gray doll.

"- A-a-a-a-age of the M-machine - 10 and his friend chased Negative and Slasher up onto the roof of the Factory!"

"Negative? Slasher?"

"Two more like me. Our leader and his deputy. - Stitchpunk clones! -," Sparks shook off his glitch and continued in a loud cry, "They might kill each other up there!"

"We have a bigger problem right now," 7 hissed while 9 was still weighing his options.

"She's right," 9 said at length, "Our biggest problem is getting rid of the Machine."

"Sparks, do you think you can speak to the Fabricator to distract it?" 5 asked.

"I-I-I- Well, he doesn't like anyone but Negative to talk to him," Sparks stuttered clutching his tail.

"But he'll let you talk to him?"

"Well, yes but-"

"You have to, Sparks. Do you seriously think he'll let any of us get away? He'll trust you," 9 said.

Sparks' throat convulsed while the Stitchpunk looked at him expectantly. He trembled and his wires shorted out for a brief moment before he took a deep breath and looked up at his new friends unsurely.

"I'll try, guys," He whispered.

The hulking metal machine turned from creating a donkey-sized machine at a meek "Acchhemm". The Machine saw the gray Hybrid, -5, below him. His head lit briefly in a mixture of annoyance and surprise.

"What do you want, -5?" Boomed the Machine as the Hybrid was turned red by his shining eye.

"Um, good morning," Sparks choked nervously, forgetting what he planned to speak with him about.

"State your business, or go away!" Thundered the Fabrication Machine as he started to pull away.

"W-wait!" Sparks called, "Can you come down here, really close, p-please?" Sparks couldn't help it as a frightened grin cracked up his face.

The Machine was irritated, but performed the request nonetheless. The Hybrid healer was bathed in the glow of the Machine's light. Sparks tried not to glance sideways, where 9 had carefully climbed onto one of the Fabricator's arms. The challenge now was the keep the Machine's gaze away from the burlap savior.

"What is the purpose of this exercise?" Demanded Spark's creator.

"Oh, er - Look at this!" Sparks cried and clasped his only hand around his wires.

The Machine's head backed away slowly as Spark's body convulsed and fell onto the ground stiffly. The little gray creature yanked on his wires screeching in pain with one leg vibrating involuntarily. Electricity exploded from the exposed wires.

"- I WONT SAND HERE AND SQUEAL, THOUGH I WOULD LIKE A FEEEEL! OH, MY BRAIN'S IN A KNOT! WHY IS EVIL SO HOOOOT? EVIL IS HOOOOOT! EVIL IS HOOOT! DON'T TELL ME THAT IT'S NOT, CUZ EVIL IS HOOOOT! I AM WOMAN! AND I AM MAN! I AM STRAIGHT! AND I AM TOO, ACCEPT FOR THAT ONE TIME IN COLLEGE...! -" Sparks sang against his will.

Not even the mighty monster was immune to staring at the tiny gray doll, twitching on the floor, singing score from"The Toxic Avenger". As 5 and 7 watched from their hiding place, 9 climbed under the machine's head. 9's copper hand reached up toward the tiny area under the Machine's eye. While his fingers grazed the talisman, he hoped to his creator he wouldn't be spotted.

"- ...SO FREAKIN' HOOOOT! -"

"Enough!" Boomed the Fabricator.

Sparks released his wires and lay panting on the floor. His pupils shrunk into pinpricks upon seeing the Machine pull toward him. 9, batting at the talisman, didn't seem to have been noticed.

"Clearly your wiring has gone faulty and you need to be repaired," The Machine said lifting a powerful hand.

"N-no!" Sparks squealed, "It hurts to touch."

"It must be fixed." He insisted.

The healer screamed as the Machine's hand started to close in on him. Suddenly there was stillness followed by a slow dying hum. The room was no longer drenched in red light. The Machine lay completely still and Sparks sprinted away from his stagnant hand. 9 smirked and emerged from behind the Machine holding the golden trinket.

"You did it!" Cried 7 and 5 embracing the doll holding the talisman.

The room was filled with an angry red light and a hiss sounded from below. The smiles were effaced clear off the four doll's mouths. The Factory, that was only silent for a few seconds, hissed back into life.

"I forgot about the backup generators in the basement," Sparks whispered to himself, and then he turned to the three Stitchpunk, "You got the life-giver! Go onto the roof before he sees you! I'll be okay!"

As the Stitchpunk skittered up metal beams leading to a still unrepaired hole in the ceiling, the Machine rose back up. Sparks let out a held breath watching the Stitchpunk go out of sight.

"Why was my energy cut!" Snapped the Machine.

"T-The Stitchpunks took the life-giver away!" Sparks answered.

"Pursue them now!" Exploded his voice, "Don't let them get away with that talisman!"

Out of a hole in the roof bursted a hooded head into the orange-red sunrise light. Negative leapt out of the hole and slithered back as 10 and 8 emerged. 10 and his guard pursued the skittish Hybrid.

"Beast!" 10 snapped, "I demand answers!"

Negative trembled, unable to get himself to move. He loosened upon seeing Slasher's spined, red head come out of the hole. With a massive roar, Slasher exploded foreword and locked his teeth into 10's shoulder. Before the Stitchpunk elder was torn to shreds, 8 leapt to his side, thrusting Slasher away. Slasher's feet scraped the metal roof and he came to a stop. The pair of loyal guards continued their battle on the Factory roof.

9, 5, 7 and Sparks emerged onto the roof to be greeted by the prelude to a rising sun. On the far end of the narrow, shining metal roof they saw 8 and his clone locked in battle. The Factory was massive, so the four on the other end of the roof seemed to be pinpricks.

"Sparks," 9 said taking the gray doll's shoulders, his brow wrinkled in doubt, "I want you to find 2, 5 and the twins. Can you do that?"

Sparks made a whimper and nodded his head. With a long parting glance to the Stitchpunk, he slipped back down into the hole. As the savior and his friends sprinted to the opposite end, 8 and Slasher slammed their weights into each other. The red doll flew back but landed on all fours. 8 clutched his shoulder, having slammed into the needles in the other's arm. The Stitchpunk cringed at the amount of oil he'd been spilling onto the roof.

His clone impacted him again, sending him closer to the edge of the precipice. The top of the Factory was only flat enough to stand on for a narrow strip only about four meters long. After that narrow spot, the metal sloped down sharply, leading to certain death unless once could catch themselves on one of the windows that stuck out about half-way down.

Slasher clamped his long, sharp teeth into the larger doll's throat. 8 struggled to trie to shake off the other doll, but the hold only tightened. The pair fell to the iron ground. Crushed under the 8's weight, Slasher let go with a wail of pain. His massive jaws were impacted by a solid fist. Slasher recoiled, oil spattering from his mouth as he let out gargled roar.

8 stood up and glanced around for a weapon, but only saw the red demon staring back at him with his broken jaw hanging limply and evil shining in his eyes. The red doll jumped at him again. 8 managed to stop the top half of his body, but Slasher's hooves impacted an optic with a shatter. The Hybrid was dropped again as the huge doll held his broken eye in pain. Slasher let out a gargled chuckle. His black lips curled into a dastardly grin as his powerful tail lifted again.

The syringe rocketed foreword, aiming for the Stitchpunk's ticker. The syringe stopped in the air and was swiped away from 8's body. The huge doll's hand crushed the Hybrid's throat. 8 swung him away. As Slasher flew through the air, the white warrior sprinted toward the scene with her weapon drawn. The shrieking red doll twisted in circles as he slid down the steep part of the roof, leaving a trail of oil. 7 pulled her entire body foreword, throwing her sharp shrapnel.

The pointed edge stopped Slasher, impaling his chest. He let out a pitiful wail, with oil bubbling in his throat. The red doll lied limp on the side of the roof, oil trickling down all the way to the ground.

Negative started to sprint away, but stopped just short of the edge of the roof. The ground sank far down before him and the cowardly Hybrid backed off. He hissed sharply when the huge Stitchpunk snatched him. The white Hybrid wriggled in vain, his neck being held firmly in one hand and his tail stretched out with another. Negative's arms and legs flailed in a blur, but 8's grip was unmoved. 10 saw his red slits shrink as he approached. 10 wanted his answers!

The shadow sitting upon the top of a smoke stack stood at alert. Tzarina saw her mentor being held below. She wasn't about to let the savages harm her father-figure. She let out a furious roar to summon a Beast.

Moments later a flying machine rocketed out of the hole in the Fabricator's chamber. Winged Beast looked down upon the Stitchpunk that had defeated him before. Winged Beast had changed; he was given two heads, four wings and four legs. The tail that lead to his death was removed. The modifications didn't mean that New Winged Beast was any less hasty.

After flying by the smoke stack to pick up Tzarina, Winged Beast swooped down toward the roof. The Beast saw 9 and recognized him as the one that defeated him.

"You won't defeat me again!" The Winged Beast's screeching voice filtered through Tzarina, who was equipped with the translating device that gave her the name "Queen of Beasts".

Winged Beast flew at the burlap doll with his front talons opened. 9 saw the old rival coming at him and ordered the others to duck. The Stitchpunk dropped to the ground. 10 fell too quick and snatched Negative's cloak. 8 was unsure what to do.

Winged Beast missed 9 but instead locked his talons around Negative's narrow body. The machine's four wings carried him up. 8, who was still holding on to him, came with Negative into the air. Clutching fearfully to the Hybrid's cloak was 10. Tzarina saw the three dolls dangling below and howled to Winged Beast:

"You moron! Negative is one of us!"

"Well, sorry, princess!"

"Shut up, and get them!"

2, the twins and 6 had traveled to the bottom of the slope and into a hot room. It was nearly pure dark as a cave, save for a flickering orange-yellow light. Piping branched around the room like long spider legs. Some pipes had steam bursting out. The room had a tall roof.

It was all very inhospitable, so the four Stitchpunk took caution as they moved forward toward the flicking light source. As they drew closer, they could see that bright white flashes appearing at random. The flashes were accompanied by an inconsistent groaning and churning of metal. 2 saw that the light was coming from a small number of dull, melting candles. The candles surrounded a burlap-covered, hunched-over figure. The figure had four arms and was working painstakingly on a Beast. 2 was the first to notice that it wasn't a machine and approached it.

"Hello. Who are you?" 2 asked in a hushed rasp.

The four-armed doll was slightly shorter than he and covered in frayed wounds. The plump doll had short, two-jointed legs with hooves. His four arms had three fingers each, save for one that was broken off. Sticking from behind his shoulder blades were smaller appendages with welding tools that the end. 2 noticed that the other had several significant wounds: a slash that exposed his rib cage, an impaling wound going through his belly and a bent leg. The old Hybrid had a chain around his neck that kept his movement within inches of his spot.

"What happened?" 2 asked softly after realizing how long the Hybrid must have been there, "Who did this to you?"

2 finally got his clone to turn his head at him and shifted back seeing that his mouth had been sewn shut. His dilated pupils panned down and he saw a large, mended claw-mark raked across the area where his voice box was - or had been. Someone wanted to keep this creature quiet!

"There you are!" Shouted a Hybrid voice.

Sparks dashed into the candlelit area. His wires illuminated the room upon seeing what had happened to his old friend.

"C-C-C-C-Cicatrix! What has he done to you! - I'll kill 'em! I'll kill 'em! -" Wailed the gray doll, his black claws grazing the chain, "He can even lie down. Cicatrix shouldn't be standing for this long. Look! His joints are rusting."

As Sparks continued to wail on, 2 walked past the bystanders, 3, 4 and 6, and unlooped the chain off the pipe. Though his tether fell off, Cicatrix turned and went back to his mindless work.

"Stop, Cic. You're free." Sparks choked.

The old doll only stared up at his friend with huge, red, dismayed eyes. Cicatrix turned back to his work, ignoring the others.

"He's changed," Sparks whimpered, "His will is broken."

6 stood stiff at this. He remembered how it felt when he saw Dapple's murder. The striped doll felt empathy. 6 approached Cicatrix and tugged at his shoulder.

"Please. She told me about you," 6 said, "Cicatrix, the Strong, you have to come with us."

"6 is right. It's imperative that you leave this abuse," 2 added, "We can give you a much healthier life."

"Cicatrix - I n-need you," Sparks whispered.

After a moment, the old, fat Hybrid's eyes shut and he stumbled over. Sparks struggled to lower his heavy body down gently. He lifted his plug tail with his teeth and let the energy transfer into his only hand.

"That's it. Rest for a while. I'll charge you right back up." The gray doll lifted his head toward 2 and the others, "There's a battle going on on the roof. As soon as Cic can travel, we need to help."

Winged Beast made a long turn and rocketed back toward the roof of the Factory. Tzarina appeared to be ignoring her mentor and the two Stitchpunk dangling from the machine's talons. Winged Beast let out a mechanized screech as he dove in toward the Stitchpunk.

7 saw the four-winged machine coming and leapt onto off the steep part of the roof. She slid down and saw the blade sticking from Slasher approaching. Her small copper hand wrapped around the blade. The sudden stop caused her to swing and fly back up. 7 was sprung back to the top of the roof with the blade still in her hand. She watched briefly as Slasher's body slid off the roof, the blade no longer pinning him there.

She sprinted toward Winged Beast and flung her upper body foreword, letting go of the blade. Tzarina's mane fluffed upon seeing the sharp shard flying toward them. The black doll forsook the double-headed beast and glided, ungracefully, down. Almost at the moment when Tzarina bailed, the Winged Beast was hit with the shard. The blade slashed a gaping hole in two of his left wings. Negative had to duck to miss the refracted blade.

The Winged Beast made half a hawk's scream and half a human's scream because of Tzarina's translating device. He dipped sharply toward the ground, floundering in the air until the end of the roof. Tzarina's silver claws dug into the far edge of the roof, her legs hanging off the edge. She looked up and saw Winged Beast crashing toward her. As the black doll ducked, Negative, 10 and 8 were released by the Beast's talons.

As Winged Beast plummeted toward the ground, his human voice fuzzed out as he got further away from Tzarina and turned into a mechanical shriek. She gazed down as Winged Beast fell into a massive turbine sticking out of the Factory's side. The Beast was shredded by the swift cutting blades. The turbine was halted by one of the dead machine's severed heads. Tzarina's red pupils shank to picks and she swallowed hard, being so close to the same fate. She quickly regathered her rage when her gaze rested on 7. The black doll jumped onto the roof to challenge the superior warrior.

The three dolls dropped by the Winged Beast cut through the air toward the ground. Negative fell the fastest. He noticed a pipe sticking out of the Factory leading to the ground. His staff caught it. He held the staff horizontally with both hands and his body came to a halt. The pipe and his staff acted like links of a chain. Negative sung from side to side as the two round surfaces struggled to find a comfortable place to lie still.

He saw two pale figures fall down past him. Suddenly his cloak came tight around his neck. 8 and 10 had grabbed the bottom of the black cloak and came to a stop also. The two Stitchpunk looked down and saw a slight incline leading into a large vent with a turbine within. The turbine was stopped by the head of Winged Beast. Below, the turbine clicked quickly as it struggled to continue to turn.

10 looked up, noticing the cloak start to tremble. Negative's arms were fatiguing and shaking under the stress of holding four times his own weight. The femur bone of the Hybrid's staff that was taking all four the doll's weight creaked ominously. Would the weak Hybrid's arms give out, or would the staff break first?

The Great Machine's red eye was glaring up into the hole where one of his Hybrids had exited. He was now annoyed that he was hearing the scrapings, scuffling and yowls of battle above and he could not see what was happening. Instead, he stared intently on the hole in his roof.

He was distracted by the sound of three Hybrids entering his chamber. He swung himself down sharply. BleachFace, with Nip and Tuk peering from behind, stood in his doorway.

"The Stitchpunk are up on the roof fighting with the others," BleachFace reported tartly.

"I am aware of that!" Snapped the Machine, "-7, -3 and -4! Go up there and bring them to me. I want them alive!"

The black Hybrid was blocked and skidded across the ground once more. One of her retractable claws was ripped out and slid to the ground by her. Tzarina flipped herself up. 7 clutched her makeshift spear tensely. She was able to block Tzarina but not able to defeat her. 7's face screwed up upon realizing the fight could have gone on forever. Tzarina lunched herself at 7 again. 7 swung her weapon at her and there was a shatter. Tzarina landed heavily on the ground and lagged there for a moment. Three red-eyed figures emerged from the hole leading into the Fabricator's chamber.

"Need some help, baby?" BleachFace remarked teasingly as he stepped in front of Tzarina.

"Silence, you fool!" She scowled, lifting her head to reveal the glass had been shattered on one of her eyes, "Get her!"

7 saw Tzarina, BleachFace, Nip and Tuk sprint at her, their teeth bared. 7 was only frozen for a minute before she took an aggressive pose again.

"All right, bring it," She growled quietly.

9 and 5 were pelting to the end of the roof, where a Hybrid and their friends dangled. In the mist of the struggle, Tzarina noticed the two burlap dolls heading to where she saw Negative disappear. Lust for the fight was effaced and replaced with fear for her father-figure.

"Negative," She rasped before going after the Stitchpunk.

Tzarina barged right in-between Nip and Tuk in her blind run. The sisters squealed as the lost their balance and tilted to one end of the edge. The two tumbled and started to slide quickly down the steep incline. BleachFace and 7 stiffened seeing the girls slip off.

The cat and the bird leapt and slid down the steep roof on two feet. Nip and Tuk's scruffs were snatched by two different hands. BleachFace was holding Tuk in one hand and dug his scythe into the metal with the other. 7 had caught Nip and was holding herself with her shrapnel.

The bird and the cat looked at each other. Shock kept across their faces. They both had an intense need to protect children.

9, with 5 seconds behind, skidded to a stop at the end of the roof. Negative, 10 and 8 stared up at them, their eyes huge with fear as the ground plunged far beneath them. The savior felt a power pang of terror that pounded on his head as soon as he noticed the ominous clicking of the jammed fan below. He stuttered, trying to dictate a plan when there was a snap. The Snake Staff had shattered in half and the three plunged below.

"Nooo- kughh!" 9 grunted after a black doll slammed right into his shoulder.

Tzarina rushed down the ramp leading down into the turbine, her pupils dilated and her jaws parted. After glancing to each other, 9 and 5 swiftly fallowed her. For that dire moment, the line between Stitchpunk and Hybrid was gone!

New dolls emerged onto the roof. 2 was at the head of the troop, with Sparks helping a limping Cicatrix and with 3 and 4 hiding behind 6. 7 and BleachFace had just climbed back up to the roof. The warriors pointed to the end of the roof frantically.

"The edge!" BleachFace bellowed.

"10 and 8 are going to fall!" 7 howled.

The warriors, the children, the healers: all sped to the end of the roof. It was too late. Their friends had fallen. 8 landed first. He caught himself on a loose bolt that kept the hanging turbine attached to the wall. The metal clunked as the two elders impacted. They had landed on a sloped edge that led into the deadly blade. The pale elders lifted their heads, exchanged horrified glances and started to claw up toward 8. Suddenly, their cloaks tightened around their necks and they were tugged back.

Negative's and 10's cloaks were entwined into a mess of black and white and suck on one of the blades. The Winged Beast's head was shivering as the turbine was winning the fight. The clicking of the turbine was growing quicker and louder, like the leader's tickers.

8 stared down at his leader and the clone as they were slowly pulled toward the crushing blades. He looked up. Tzarina, 9 and 5 wouldn't be there in time! The guard forsook his own safe place and slid down to help Negative and 10. He clenched a fist around the nape of 10's cloak. 8 strained himself to pull them out of the deathtrap, but they were still dragged down all the same.

"Fabricator! Save me!" Negative shrieked a desperate prayer.

The Fabricator's huge eyes was turned toward the plead. His head sparked with anger before his eye blackened and his body froze. As soon as the red was gone from the Machine, the bright bulb on the attachment on Negative's neck lit. Negative felt his blood turn to molten steel and he screeched in pain. His mind was in blackness. His head drooped and it rose again with a bright red light. His slits were gone and his eyes were opened completely.

His lips curled away and he hissed furiously. His claws bored into 8's shoulder and his teeth slammed shut on his neck. 8 screamed in pain as he was ravenously attacked. Out of Negative's oil-covered maw came a sound, but it wasn't his voice, it was the blood-thirsty roar of the Fabrication Machine.

9 and Tzarina leapt to the edge of the turbine were the bolts held it on and looked on helplessly as the guard's arm was torn to shreds by Hybrid. All dolls, Stitchpunk and Hybrid, gathered behind the savior and his shadow. Sparks clutched Tzarina as she struggled to try to jump down to Negative.

10 saw the group above. He glanced at his guard and his attacker for a moment before he lurched himself. There was a rip and 10 was free. He crawled up the slope on his belly, with the end of his cloak missing. 9 lifted the old leader up.

10 looked down at his guard and friend sadly before his brow tightened. He didn't see Negative; he saw the Machine. Anger spun inside him: the pain that the Machine had caused him, the destruction of his Sanctuary, the loss of his life; now he could redeem himself!

10 swiped his staff from where it had fallen down on the ledge. He dug the end under the loose bolt and pulled viciously.

"Knock out the bolts!" commanded the Sanctuary king, his eyes intense chips of onyx.

"No!" 9 shouted fearfully, "They'll be crushed! You'll kill them!"

"He's right!" BleachFace's bass voice boomed as he dug his scythe under the only other bolt, "There must be sacrifice!"

The turbine shuttered as the cat pulled the bolt out of its hole. Without the bolt to keep it balanced, the entire fan groaned all its weight to the final bolt.

"Negative!" Tzarina crowed bursting free from Sparks' grasp and leaping down into the turbine.

The black doll landed on 8, who whimpered in pain. Negative was still attacking the guard. 8 threw his head up to the cluster of dolls above.

"1! Please! Help me!" He begged.

But 10 was def to his friend, only wanting to destroy the Machine. It was 9 who came his aid. The savior hung on the edge and stretched a hand out to 8. 10 saw 9 half-way in the fan and commanded BleachFace to continue to pull on the bolt. 10 locked himself onto the youngest Stitchpunk and struggled with him.

"There's nothing we can do!" 10 shouted into his head.

9 ignored his words and refused to fight with him.

"Negative, come on," Tzarina begged as she reached her paw out for Negative to grab.

Her paw was knocked aside by his flailing tail. There was a chink and her heavy hand smacked Negative's attachment and sent it out of his neck and to the ground. Negative's mind was back and he saw his student reaching for him. Negative grabbed Tzarina's paw with his claw tightly.

"Please, don't let me go," He whispered.

The cloak was growing tighter and tighter. Negative throat was closing as his cloak was scratched. His gagged and looked up desperately at Tzarina.

"Negative, please. Please, hold on," Tzarina panted.

A loud sound broke through the moment. Tzarina realized with a twinge that the turbine was free and its blades spun like a whirlpool. Moments after, she felt claws slip from her grip.

"NO!" Tzarina roared.

Negative's white body disappeared into the torrent. The turbine shuttered and fell away around them. BleachFace had broken the last bolt and the hunk of metal plummeted to the ground. The turbine exploded into a hunk of twisted metal below. 9 clutched 8's hand and pulled him and Tzarina up.

"Negative!" screamed the lost, black Hybrid as she glided to the pile of iron below.

"Tzarina, wait!" Sparks called after her as he started to jump down the ledges of the dark wall.

The group of dolls reached the ground soon. The sun was above the horizon and everything was bathed in a bittersweet golden light. The crisis was over. The line between Stitchpunk and Hybrid drew itself again.

"Stitchpunk," BleachFace said turning his mask toward them, "Go home."

"But, what about your leader?" 9 asked in concern.

"Go home before the Beasts come," The cat insisted blankly, "Take -2. He's ill and will only be forced back into work by the Machine. He's better with ya'll."

The Stitchpunk reluctantly started to travel back toward Human-City. Cicatrix only gazed at Sparks and nodded goodbye. 10 put a claw on the fat Hybrid's shoulder.

"I promise you, you will be well under my leadership," 10 said.

"It won't be your leadership for much longer," 7's voice shattered the elder's pride.

10 lifted his head to bite back, but was met with glaring eyes. Not only was it 7, but all the Stitchpunk, accept 2, who refused to look, penetrated his soul with their hateful glares. He was startled to find that even 8 looked at him as if he were a Beast. 10 didn't know what he did wrong, but he knew the others were considering his new law: if the leader proves himself as unworthy, the governed have the power to put him on trial and dictate his punishment: impeachment, exile, or execution by beheading. 10 grabbed his throat and looked at 7.

If she has her way, there's a geutean waiting for my neck! He hissed in his head, Why did I ever create that damn law?

Tzarina was still gliding down to the remains of the turbine. Sparks was already by it. He felt a heavy head smack him away. Tzarina pushed away the medic and started to claw desperately through the bent metal. She inhaled sharply after seeing a limp, white body loll out from in-between two blades. Negative was severely crushed and his side was impaled. His slits flickered open. Tzarina stoked his head soothingly.

"Shhhh, it's going to be okay," She purred.

"Tzarina, my dear, beloved child," His breath shuttered, "Remember what I taught you… Do you know how to conduct a group of Hybrids?"

"I-I do, but why must I know? You're the firstborn. You're our leader," She choked.

"It's time for me to retire, Tzarina. You'll be a fantastic leader," Negative's red eyes started to dull.

"I need you."

"Thank you, Tzarina. Before you, I was all alone. You filled me with love," A rusty purr rumbled from the white Hybrid, "I love you, my child."

Negative was still. Tzarina stared down at him, shaking. She murmured quietly and embraced him in a hug. The black Hybrid stood and turned into Sparks. She dug her head into his shoulder and wept quietly. Sparks wrapped her arms around the lost Hybrid and rocked her slowly.

BleachFace, upon looking at them, scowled behind his mask. His body tightened with envy. He took swift steps toward the Factory and called out:

"We need to report this to the Machine."

*~* The Machines *~*

Ant Driods

Allegiance - The Machines

Gender of Species - All Male

Anatomy - Several legs and many red eyes attached to a single black section of its body. Slightly larger than a Stitchpunk.

Details - Created by the Machine, a quick-moving minor machine used primarily to stand look-out for the Machine or collect parts for him.

The Fabrication Machine

Allegiance - The Machines

Gender - Male

Anatomy - Massive machine with two body sections with many arms and tools attached, one massive processor for a head with a red eye, opposable tail attached him to his Factory.

Details - His processor was built by the creator of the Stitchpunk and his massive body added on so her may create war-machines. The cause of the extermination of life. Killed by 9. Created Stitchpunk beings of his own to eliminate the original nine, however his main motivation is something unknown. Rules Negative and in turn, the rest of the hybrids, with fear and intimidation. Unknowingly desires love above all things.

The Skouts

Allegiance - The Machines

Gender of Species - All Male

Anatomy - Rat skull head, raptor-like body with springs in legs. Long whiplash tail. Highly opposable fingers. Stitchpunk-sized. Fairly intelligent and programmed with pack mentality. Shakes victims until dead.

Details - Created by the Machine. Fast, nimble but very fragile. Used to collect items and patrol boarders.

The Cat Beast

Allegiance - The Machines

Gender - Female

Anatomy - Long monkey-like legs, cat skull head with one light bulb eye to see at night and spiked back. Two-and-a-half Stitchpunk heights.

Details - Created by the Machine. Nimble and powerful but unintelligent. Enjoys toying with her pray. Killed by 7 but salvaged by the Machine. Currently being redesigned.

The Cackle Beast

Allegiance - The Machines

Gender of Species - All Male accept the Matriarch

Anatomy - Six extremely long legs with fingers of variable sizes. Hump-backed bady with a spotted hyena skin draped over it. Possum skull head with rubber ears. Fishing hook at end of tail. Almost two Stitchpunk heights.

Details - Created by the Machine. Similar programming as Cat Beast. Usually in packs with a ruling Matriarch.

The Glutton Beast

Allegiance - The Machines

Gender - Male

Anatomy - A large, swat, toad-like machine with a wide head and five, highest eyes. Large, wide-spread fingers designed to absorb shock. A tube in his mouth connects to his belly, made from the bag of a vacuum cleaner. Has several tiny, pointed teeth. Roughly a meter tall.

Details - Created by the Machine. Designed to capture Stitchpunk my sucking them into its belly. Similar programming as Seamstress.

Underbite

Allegiance - The Machines

Gender - Female

Anatomy - A long serpentine body with two arms. One are is a plastic dinosaur bone replica forelimb, the other is a long chain with a hook. Has two webbed fins under its arms. Also has a tail and dorsal fin. Head is a plastic troadon skull with four eyes and an under bite made form metal, with long angler-fish like teeth. Has a lure with a shining blue light on the top of her head.

Details - Created by the Machine. Patrolling, swimming machine, used in the polluted river that runs past the front of the Factory. While she lures pray in stealthfully, she's also a powerful fighting machine. Very slow on land.

New Seamstress

Allegiance - The Machines

Gender - Female

Anatomy - A long, black fabric covered serpentine body with two arms. Two arms are made from a human forearm and her hands are made of needles. Long neck with a cobra-shaped hood that can hide her true face. Her face is made from a white shard of porcelain. Has huge, shining red eyes that can hypnotize. Two pointed fangs. A Stitchpunk dummy nicknamed "Cream" is attached to the top of her head.

Details - Created by the Machine. Made swifter and more powerful than her pervious form. Seamstress is the only machine, other than the Fabricator himself, that can comminute with dolls directly.

New Winged Beast

Allegiance - The Machines

Gender - Male

Anatomy – Four large wings webbed with red tarp. Stands on four legs each equipped with hawk-like, metal talons. No tail. Two heads made from knives with one eye on the top of each head.

Details - Created by the Machine. Made more powerful and faster than his previous form. Destroyed after falling into rotor blades.

*~* Machine-Stitchpunk Hybrids *~*

Negative (-1) . . . The Innocent

Number Placement - Back

Allegiance - The Machine

Gender - Male

Anatomy - White leather skin, frail steel claws, bone tail with stinger, needle fangs. Held shut with two buckles in an "X" across the chest. Red slitted eyes. Shorter and scrawnier than 1.

Details - Created by the Machine to be the leader of the others of his kin. Skittish and very weak but self-loving and irritable. Worships the Machine like a god, fallowing him blindly. However often regrets the bad things he's been forced to do. The only hybrid to speak directly to the Machine. Crushed and impaled by a turbine.

Tzarina (-9) . . . The Understanding

Number Placement - Chest

Allegiance - The Machine

Gender - Female

Anatomy - Made from a black purse with fur trim. Fur runs down head like a mane, over chest and down back going into a long tail. Zipper runs down the back of her head. Heavy paws with razor blade retractable claws. Red eyes and solid silver fangs. Lost a claw and the glass on one eye in a fight with 7.

Details - Created by the Machine as a solider and heir to Negative if he should die. Deeply respects elders for their apparent "wisdom". Hostile and pig-headed but cannot fight the almost motherly side inside her. Heavy claws make her attacks ineffective on foes that are too fast to be hit. Holds romantic feelings for Sparks that she doesn't comprehend. Currently the Hybrid leader.

Sparks (-5) . . . The Healer

Number Placement - Back

Allegiance - The Machine

Gender - Male

Anatomy - Majorly a tough gray fabric with patches and stitches. Many stitches along his face and a "Y" incision on his chest. Black metal claws and a white electrical plug for a tail. Shorter than Tzarina and skinny. Red eyes. Exploded patches of wires sticking out of a wound in his head.

Details - Created by the Machine to recharge himself and bring machines to life. Sparks is submissive and jumpy. He tries to please everyone and tends to be friendly to those who show kindness to him. The wires often glitch causing Sparks to convulse and scream something from his memories - usually something unuseful. Wants to be in a relationship with Tzarina. Desires to become friends with the Stitchpunk.

Cicatrix (-2) . . . The Strong

Number Placement - Back

Allegiance - The Machine

Gender - Male

Anatomy - Dirty pale burlap skin covered in several patches and stitches. Smallest of all the hybrids and Stitchpunk. Plump. Four heavy arms molded after the Machines', two other appendages sticking from shoulders for welding. No tail, wire-cutter teeth.

Details - Created by the Machine solely for labor. Able to lift things three-times his weight but his health is fading fast. Peaceful and is fascinated by nature. Mauled by Slasher and lost his voice. Was forced into the cellar to make machines and fell ill because of it. In the care of the Stitchpunk.

Slasher (-8) . . . The Loyal

Number Placement - Back

Allegiance - The Machine

Gender - Male

Anatomy - Made from a red pin cushion. Has stripes of black tar drawn on him. Rows a needles rising form head, back, shoulders and jaws. Tall and skinny. Medical needle tail, red eyes and huge needle fangs.

Details - Created by the Machine as an enforcer of Negative. Dense and misguided by Negative. Enjoys tormenting the "lower" dolls, being Cicatrix, Sparks, Dapple, Nip and Tuk. Impaled by 7.

Dapple (-6) . . . The Seeing

Number Placement - Back

Allegiance - The Machine

Gender - Female

Anatomy - Made from a wool black-and-blue striped sweater. Patch of white fur on head as hair. Frail hooks for fingers. Long tail with the head of a paintbrush at the end.

Details - Created by the Machine to design beasts. Speaks in a slow soft voice. Loves all of her kin, even Negative and Slasher who abuse her. Has dreams for a "family". Takes punishment without fighting back, even if she's undeserving. Ordered to death by Negative and killed by Slasher. Taken to the Machine to be "repaired".

BleachFace (-7) . . . The Independent

Number Placement - Chest

Allegiance - None

Gender - Male

Anatomy - Tall, lithe and dark brown with a long tail that is tipped with white. Tall collar around neck and swift copper claws. Face is stained with bleach. Wears a dark metal cat-like mask to hide his face. Red eyes with yellow stained glass, making them appear orange.

Details - Ran away from the rest of the hybrids for an unknown reason. Calls Human-City, "the City" and claims that it all belongs to him. Navigates ruins with ease and enjoys picking fights and playing mind games. Has a strong sense if independence. Doesn't want to reveal his true face and will fiercely defend himself if he feels threatened to take off his mask.

Nip (-3) . . . The Loving

Number Placement - Chest

Allegiance - The Machine

Gender - Female

Anatomy - Head and body made from gray denim, arms and legs made from the same material. Green camo cape and hood, bright orange inside. Black and silver claws. Pocket sewn into belly. Boarder face and more heavyset than Tuk. Red eyes. No tail, small fangs.

Details - Created by the Machine as a worker. Enjoys picking on anything smaller or apparently weaker than herself. Loves the company of her sister but doesn't realize it until she's alone. The leader of the sisters.

Tuk (-4) . . . The Caring

Number Placement - Chest

Allegiance - The Machine

Gender - Female

Anatomy - Head and body made from gray denim, arms and legs made from same material. Turquoise camo cape and good, bright orange inside. Black and silver claws. Pocket sewn onto belly. Skinner than Nip and has unfocused eyes as a result of being beaned on the head too much by her sister. Red eyes. No tail, small fangs.

Details - Created by the Machine as a worker. Enjoys fallowing Nip around. More friendly than her sister but still enjoys her wicked ways. A little slower because of being hit on the head too much. More submissive than Nip.

*~* Others *~*

The Toy Maker

A scientist and ex-toy maker hired by the State to create the Machine. The Machine was taken away from the Toy Maker before he was able to complete testing on it. Only after the Machine went mad with power did he create the nine Stitchpunk creatures to continue life on the dead Earth. Died after bringing 9 to life.