It's All Part Of a Grand Scheme, And Us, Pawns in This Endless Play

Chapter 4: Getting Everything Settled

(Nobody's POV)

Artificer caight up to the group shortly after Vacuity and Hunter finished mopping up the remaining ghost soldiers. She chittered, and thumped her tail at Monk who chirped with a friendly tone. Survivor was inspecting Vacuity with a mix of suspicion and concern. Hunter was catching his breath whilst realizing that he was alive, free from the headaches and pain of the rot. Vacuity was scavenging the dead soldiers and ignoring his wounds, minor wounds to him, but dangerous to others.

For Vacuity time seemed to freeze, memories surfaced that he wished didn't, better times. Sure those times were still wrought with dangers and the likes similar to today. But there were more clones back then....mores sevens like him. The slugcats noticed he was froze, looking at the sky and shaking slightly.

(Vacuity's POV)

Campfire, snow, laughter....warm food. Tasted like crap but oh well, 019 or 'Doc' made some tea from something. Moments like these were rare, but good...chatter, jokes, laughter...we were acting like people.

Damn it....I can still hear their voices....I need to stop, before it hurts more.

I stifle a whimper, and the shaking in my hands. I try shaking my head to clear these memories, they're clouding my perception.

I feel...cold, and numb. I thought I was over this, that the pain...the weakness was gone.

Being vulnerable is just gonna get me killed.

Sadness never helped anyone or saved anything.

It isn't my fault they're gone, I'm not alone.

I don't want to be alone again.

I felt something pat my shoulder, snapping me from my thoughts. Artificer was giving me an annoyed look tinged with concern.

(Artificer's POV)

What in the star's is wrong with this guy? Friendly to stressed to fighting to looting to unresponsive....I patted his shoulder and his jolted like he forgot I was there. He seems unbothered by the damage he's taken, so I'll ignore it. I thumped my tail annoyedly, looking at the pink youngster named Hunter, then back to Vacuity, before tapping out to him.

"Welcome back, falling asleep so soon?" Hopefully the sarcasm is picked up on.

Judging by the exasperated sigh, it was...and I chuckle slightly.

(A small timeskip of thirty minutes, Nobody's POV)

Artificer was relaying messages to Vacuity from the slugcats. Meanwhile he was wishing he could teach them to speak, earlier he tried physically speaking and could barely utter a single syllable. This provoked a laugh from Artificer, and a confused chitter from Hunter. The brothers were indifferent to the noise, more curious in what Vacuity had to say.

"We could stay in a group, I got nothing better to do than help y'all." Unbeknownst to the scugs, they were helping him out just by agreeing.

He was already thinking of places they could stay. He had a few places in mind, there's more openminded settlements out in what was California, plus it's got the fours and fives clone series watching over it. His train of thought was cut short by Survivor's belly rumbling.

Vacuity smiles under his helmet, time to get some food...luckily he knows a place that some of the newer wildlife has made a den, and may have suit replacement for him.