Chapter Text
When X left the restaurant, he was originally going to be walked back to the tower by Four. However, just as luck would have it, two green integers had walked past the building and spotted him in the dark. So, without much arguing, X walked home with his two friends instead. X had offered Four a hug before leaving, but they refused said offer. With a shrug and grabbed onto Y and Z’s hands and began to walk down the less crowded path due to the late time. Streetlamps illuminated the path, with only a few civilians left on the sides of the path. X watched their uncomfortable expressions as his friends, and he passed. He sighed.
“Do you think that if we did stay, we would be accepted by them?” He asked half-heartedly. Y hummed without thinking. Z grunted and frowned.
“Most likely not. But who cares? It’s truly not an issue. I don’t accept them either,” She murmured. X’s eyebrows furrowed. He cared. But alas, he did not say such things in front of her.
“I just don’t like being stared at like that,” He whispered back. And in response, Z’s face contorted from annoyance to some form of sadness. Maybe empathy? He wouldn’t know. Her grip tightened on his hands in silent comfort. It worked, somewhat, and he smiled softly at her. She cracked a smile back, a tired one. Y gripped X’s hand, which made him babble in surprise. Z giggled and rolled her eyes.
“It’s us against this world, right?” Y beamed, giving a light and playful shove to X’s shoulder. X laughed heartily, pushing his body into theirs to return to shove. Y wailed and cackled.
“Isn’t the term ‘Us against THE world?” X asked. Y shook their head quickly with a comical frown.
“There’s other planets. This is just one we decided to go back on! It’s us against THIS world,” They retorted, pointing their index finger up to solidify their statement. X, defeated, shrugged with a light groan. Z groaned along with him, which amused Y further. Z quickly moved on from it, though.
“I- look, I know Y is stupid-”
“Hey!”
“-And annoying. But they are right, X. We care about you. You’re our best friend, and I wouldn’t have it any other way,” Z said, scratching her face to distract from her lightly colored cheeks. Y beamed before X even had the chance to.
“Awww, you love us!” They cheered, rubbing their cheeks with closed eyes. Z snarled.
“Oh shut it, you meathead! Actually, I'll take it back! X and N are my best friends,” Z shot back. Y gasped then looked hurt for a moment before pouting.
“Leave N out of this! They have done no wrong,” Y shouted back.
“I know! That’s why they’re better than you!” Z shrieked, pointing at them from around X. And despite the situation looking bad, or even uncomfortable from someone else's perspective, it was actually quite nice. Nostalgic, even. X closed his eyes, and if he thought hard enough, he was back on the ship.
“That’s the wrong wire, Y! Read the pamphlet again while I do it and maybe don’t screw around next time,” Z whined as she connected two wires together, and with a flicker the lights in X’s room turned back on. X sighed with relief, his anxiety subsiding for a moment. He got to skip his duties for this hour to fix said problem, and with it done in only twenty minutes, he had the rest of the time to himself.
“Maybe I couldn’t read it because the lights were out, Z! Mhghg whatever, I’m gonna spend the rest of my free time with N. They said we could get food together and take it to their room,” Y said, throwing their arms up before trotting out. But as quickly as they left, they peeked back inside and hugged X.
“Love you, see you in…Thirty minutes!” Y said with a pat to the head. X giggled and, when they left, flopped on their bed. For a moment, they just lay there, calm. Then they got up and found some water. He poured it into a watering can, then hydrated the plants in his room. Z gave a quick wave and then left as well. And despite their absence, he still felt the warmth and care from the interaction in his chest. But part of him felt the absence of something else. He felt warmth that others felt, but he hadn’t discovered. So, despite having friends, he still felt…Lonely.
X opened his eyes again and found they were walking up the steps of the Tower. Infinity, he was out for a minute! And he also says…That, now. Anyway, when the group made it up the stairs, they all let go of each other's hands. Y and Z went to their shared room quickly, saying how tired they were. But X had slightly different plans now. He walked up to a familiar guard and tapped them on the shoulder. They turned and smiled at the variable.
“Oh, hey X! What’s up?” Seven asked eagerly. X returns the smile and shifts in stance.
“The event for us to get power is tomorrow, right?” X asked. Seven nodded casually.
“Yep. Everything is prepared, I think. So I’ve heard.”
“...So you’ve heard?”
“Psh, well yeah…I’m not high court material, they wouldn't let me near whatever they’re doing! Five might’ve seen though, but I haven’t seen her since yesterday morning. They shut themself in their room after going to the ballroom, said something about feeling sick,” Seven said with a worried tone. He puts a hand on his chin before adding,
“I should go check on her.” And with that Seven ran up the stairs. They hastily climbed up the spinning architecture, then disappeared from X’s view. X blinked in surprise but decided to try not to think about it. It worried him, though. But it most likely meant nothing. After that, he joined his friends and went to bed. Sleeping would make him feel better, most likely.
***********
Sleep did not make X feel better. He woke up the same way as the day before, with tears rolling down his face. This is becoming a problem, isn’t it? Oh well, he’ll fix it tomorrow when he’s back on the ship. He rubbed his cheeks and got out of bed after a few bangs on the door. He went into the bathroom and washed his face with cold water to wake himself up. He dried his cheeks with a towel and stared at his reflection one more time before such an exciting day.
His scratches were mostly healed by now. There was a small scar like a spot on his knee, but it wouldn’t matter since he had his ship’s suit to wear. Speaking of his suit, it was quite dirty now. Once a dull white shade, now covered in dirt and stains. He hopes Four won’t notice. He wonders why he would hope for that. He leaves the bathroom and grabs an already-made sandwich near the coffee maker and unwraps it, then eats it. Y and Z are awake now, doing the exact same thing as him. Y looks slightly worried at X.
“This nightmare thing is a problem,” They state, making X sigh loudly.
“Those eyebags are pretty gnarly, X. Are you tired?” Z added on. X only nodded pathetically. Z grabbed her bag and sorted through it for a moment, then gave X a bottle of pills.
“I snuck these with me from home, it should help.”
“I-...Energy medication? Why do you have these?”
“For energy, dummy. I don’t get much sleep either. However, these beds are way better than the ones back home. I haven’t slept this good in ages. I think you need it, even if we aren’t really workers anymore,” Z finished before getting up. Y nodded to X, and he mimicked them as he took a few pills with some water. Just a picker-upper, he told himself as he did so. And soon after, another knock. Not from Four, though, it was like the same sharp knock, albeit it was softer than the one from earlier, which left X curious. He walked up to the door and was surprised to see two numbers he didn’t recognize. A dark grey one, and an orange one, holding more medication. Oh, come on!
“The Priest informed us to give these to all variable guests before the event,” A rough voice came from the grey one. X raised an eyebrow as the bottle was moved closer to him in an urging manner.
“...Why?” X asked in an almost exasperated tone. The orange one laughed awkwardly.
“We don’t know, we just take orders. We’re not the high court, after all!” He exclaimed, his mouth twitching uncomfortably.
“Well, who is the high court? I’ve heard so much about them!” X whined. But still, he took the pills and took them despite still being annoyed.
“Oh, the high court is the people who have life-binding contracts with the Priest, so…Well, Three. And Two, I’m sure,” he said, making X gasp.
“There were older high court members a while ago, but they all uh…Disappeared, or something. The Priest doesn’t like sharing their past often.” X took in this information like it stabbed him, yet also a delicacy. He didn’t really know what to think of it all just yet, but for now, he just let it settle in his mind.
“Y! Z! Pills!” X shouted, and groans proceeded. He giggled as two disappointed variables took some medication. Z, most of all, was displeased, glaring at the more nervous integer in front of her.
“If I, like, become numb or something because of these pills, you two are both dead,” Z threatened, pointing two fingers at her eyes, then theirs. The orange one frowned, scared and sad, and left after confirming they had both swallowed the medication. Soon after, they all left and, with the guidance of Seven, made it to the ballroom. They stood in a line and got let in one by one by Five, who still looked on edge. The line moved slowly due to her uneasiness. When they finally got inside the room, it was pretty empty, except for the huge symbols on the ground. That stood out the most to them. But something weird is that X’s friends, and all the others were tired. They were so sleepy that they leaned on him for support. X had to carry Y and Z at the end of the line as they put their full weight on him. Z groaned.
“I bet thhhey drugged us…” She murmured. She poked X in the back, making him yelp and jump slightly.
“Why didn’t it work on you? Oh, rightttt,” She asked through a slurred voice.
“U-uhm, why would they drug us?” X asked. The medication he took before balanced out the effects of the pills, but he was experiencing a headache that made his vision blur.
“Wuh-Why wouldn’t they? They’re probably gonna try to kill us or-...something!”
“We can’t die, Z! I mean…Right? Negative X was just sick! She just got shot into space! I think,” Y mumbled from X’s other shoulder. X scowled at them.
“Stop talking about my mom!” He yelped. That got both of them to stop bickering rather quickly, as X didn’t raise his voice very much. But it wasn’t very long before the bodies were removed, and Zeros carried them away. X, without a distraction, quickly took in the environment. Stained glass windows, murals, and a high area on the wall with an entrance, a lush chair for someone to sit on. On the walls, stained…Something. It looked like paint, as it was colorful; however, it just felt disgusting to look at. It made him feel sick. The area was huge, and the halls of their living quarters looked tiny compared to this. But it made sense, as they needed room for…Whatever this is. Wait, multiplication symbols…
X suddenly felt his hands get taken behind his back and tied up. X shrieked and wiggled, trying to get free. The number from behind quickly released him, and he fell to the floor. He whined as his hands were immovable. On the ground, he rapidly looked for someone he recognized other than the limp variables all beside him. And as he looked, he saw his one ray of hope. Far from the scene, behind a fenced-up area, was Four. Two and Three stood beside them, holding their arms tightly. Two and…Three. Two…And…
“Okay, let’s get to the chase!” A booming voice called from above. X’s eyes darted to see the Priest in uniform, on the throne high up. The voice seemed amused, yet serious. With the flick of their wrist, they snapped at a door, and some not-so-happy Zeros walked through a door.
“I…Lied. We cannot give you what you need. You variables are not to be trusted. I would know,” They muttered. They stood and gave a light bow.
“I apologize. But I must-”
“I don’t wanna die!”
Silence followed. The Priest looked down at the source of noise, at X. Their stare, hidden behind the fabric of the cloak, still burned through him. His eyes snapped from them to Four, who was frantically trying to get out of the grip of Two and Three. Two looked exhausted already.
“Four! Please!” X screamed. Four grunted as Three was holding them from behind. But the whole time, X noticed, he had his eyes on the Priest. A begging look, an unhappy look. A desperate look. The number in power ignored them, though with a quick hand wave, then continued.
“I must get rid of you from the equation. And for the love of Infinity, don’t fight it. It’ll be quick and painless!” They cooed, putting their hands together like a mocking plea. By now, the variables were getting their feelings back and attempting to get up, so some zeros ran into place. And X watched in horror as E screamed, and suddenly…Gone. The symbol had glowed, and in less than ten seconds, E was a burnt spot on the ground. The panic set in. He watched as Z frantically tried pulling herself up from the floor. Another few screams, F and G, through the screams of X’s friends and family, disappeared. Suddenly, a door flew open behind X. N shuddered and panted, still slightly weak from the pills. They held the door open for the others. More zeros ran in.
“RUN! GO GO GO!” N shrieked. Y, in an instant, flew to their feet. They darted out the door, same with a few others. X watched the scene in horror, frozen in place. He didn’t know what to do. His head was spinning as symbols glowed, integers ran and grabbed, variables squealed and fought back. He was so overwhelmed that he didn’t see the zero run in front of the symbol next to him. He blinked in shock as the symbol glowed and began to activate.
Suddenly, everything felt all too familiar. Was he even awake? Was this really happening?
“X!” He heard someone scream. He looked to see the culprit, but before he could even process who it was, they teleported in front of him, shoving him and them away from the symbol. In response, the whirring of the object stopped, and it deactivated. X sniffled and covered his eyes. Maybe he could wake up. He wanted to so badly. He wanted the cold tiles below to be his warm bed. He wanted the body cradling him in their arms to be his blankets. He wanted the yelling to be the laughing of his two friends as he tried to sleep. And most importantly, he didn't want to be in danger. He wanted to be safe. Just like he had always been.
“X? X! X you gotta help me!” A shaken voice whined from above him. X cracked his eyes open to see Four holding him, looking more afraid than ever. Their chin quivered, but their eye softened as X finally opened his eyes to see them. Variables ran past, though many fewer than what had been there originally. Four nodded to him, and X, surprised but understanding, grabbed them for support. Four hoisted X up and, with a few glances, began to leave with the others. X didn’t pay as much attention as he was, for the time being, mostly safe. Only after a short time of moving did they stop, though.
“Four! Four, come back!” Two called out. Four instinctively stopped at their voice, turning to look. Their face looked angry and unforgiving, but couldn't keep the malice as the green number softly gazed back at them. Two slowly approached the two, and with a warm but tired smile, asked,
“Is he okay?” Four glared at them and held X closer, but he dropped his anger quickly again.
“Of course he’s fine.”
Suddenly, Three ran to the group. He looked the worst of them all, with scratches and bites from Four’s previous struggles covering his arms. When he made it to them, he, without thinking, pulled Two into a hug. Two was obviously startled by the desperate gesture but reciprocated. When he pulled away, he and Four made eye contact. Then, to avoid the blue integer that was giving him, looked down at the frowning X.
“I’m sorry.”
“What the hell is wrong with you?” Four shot back with a snarl.
“I didn’t have a choice!”
“Do you have one now?” They shouted back. X whimpered and covered his ears. They both shifted, then pulled gazes apart with a sharp spark of anger. Four huffed out a shaky breath, and Three rubbed his upper arms softly.
“We will discuss this later. What are we gonna do now?” Two reasoned quietly. They slipped in between the two bodies to further de-escalate the situation. There was silence as they collectively thought together.
“We will leave. X can’t stay here. We can go back to the base or…Somewhere else. Just far from the Plaza, or the valley. And from One,” Four muttered. Two nodded quickly, ushering them to walk.
“Sounds like a plan, or enough of a plan, to me!” But Three stopped to look back. Through the open doors, he could see her. She had thrown off her cloak and watched as they left. He stared into her eyes, and before he turned, she held up a paper. Then, a second. Three’s eyes widened, and he choked out a sob before sharply turning to follow. He could leave for now. But not for long.
***********
Far further and deeper into the plaza, variables stampede. They scattered, ran, hid, and tried to escape. Huts and shops were ruined in their panic. But more importantly, the integers of the plaza were as unknowing as they were. So the further the stampede went, the more integers followed and began to flee. But despite the destruction, few places stayed a haven, either due to the fact that they were a building or weren’t in the way of the crowd.
A big building with pillars and stairs lay untouched. And within, many scared algebraliens lay as well. Specifically, two green and one red variable. When they found this sanctuary, they were at first wary of others being inside. But to their surprise, no one was. The lights were out, and though it was day, it was still dark. They huddled into a corner with a couple of snagged pillows from the chairs and couches in the library. Along with a tissue box. Sobs echoed throughout the library.
“Hey hey hey, it’s okay Y…” N hummed sweetly, hugging them close. Z was farther away from the two, hand clutching her mouth to not show her emotions. Y’s breath caught in their throat as they choked on themselves, coughing before crying louder.
“H-H-He was just…Sssitting there, and I-I…I-” Y babbled, then covered their eyes. N looked down at the floor, trying to recall the previous events.
“I-I’m sure X is fine. Actually, I’m…Not sure, he couldn’t get up I saw, and I saw that the symbol, it…” N trailed off, their stomach tightening.
“X is fine,” N said, this time trying to reassure themself.
“Stop talking about him!” Z hissed back, clenching her other fist. She squeezed her burning eyes shut. Her chest began to hurt, stabbing against her clothes. She unzipped her suit to get more air, but it felt like it was being sucked from her mouth and lungs.
“We’ll…We’ll find him. Now,” She growled, pulling herself to her feet. Without looking back, she trudged to the library doors. Y opened their eyes and watched, then scrambled to get up. N followed them, still trying to keep calm.
“We will find him,” She repeated as she swung the doors open. She began to walk down the barren streets, and quickly, the two other variables caught up.
“W-where are we going?” Y asked, their voice raw. Z looked up and saw a hut on fire. The fire was beginning to travel along the stands and other buildings, spreading quickly.
“Anywhere but here. Somewhere safe. X likes to be safe, remember?”