Game of Survival - Nine x Reader

Chapter 7 - Nowhere is Somewhere

Thanks for 2k!!!!

This is bad but I wanted to release something this week for this book. Apologies.

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Leaning against the cool cement wall of the train station, your fur rushed with wind as trains flashed passed. Their bright lights blinding the station with a red glow. Your hood provided little protection to the loud noises of the subway. Foot tapping impatiently, you sighed. Your eyes unamusingly watched as citizens wandered through the station, heads down and hidden.

All were devoid of colour and life.

Catching one of the camera's facing you, you turned your head down and pulled the sleeves on your jacket down, hiding your robotic arm. Pretending to wait for a train, you glared at the camera as it stared at you. Loosing its interest, it turned its lens in an opposite direction.

Once sure you were in its blind spot, you smirked. In a second you blended in with the crowd. Weaving between the people, you snuck you way past security into the darker parts of the station. Remaining hidden, you slid into the darkness of the station.

Finding yourself in a secured space, you flicked your hood off, and pulled the sleeves up. The heat hitting you like a truck. Sweat speckled on your forehead. Attempting to wipe it off with your gloves hand, you inhaled the stuffy air of the underground. Strolling along a path tucked away in a shadowy alley, you closed your eyes as trains passed you, supplying you nice cool air.

Eyes catching an all too familiar keypad, you grinned as you approached Nine's hidden laboratory door. It brought a smile to your face. The thought of meeting the fox again. Sure he was rude, but you could feel he had a soft side.

A side of hope for this lost city.

You just had to help him realise it himself.

Lifting your metal arm, you knocked on his door. Your heard a rustle behind the door. Your ears perked up upon hearing a piece of glass smash, and a soft curse leaving Nine's mouth. After a few more moments of shuffling around, the door opened allowing you inside. Happily, you wandered inside the small laboratory.

"What are you doing here?" Nine grumbled. He knelt over pieces of smashed glass, picking up the shattered pieces.

"No reason really," you shrug, tempted to sit in his little swivel chair. You thought about it but decided you like living, so you stood.

"Did you have to knock? You know the password why didn't you just open the door yourself," he hissed as a piece of glass pieced his finger, a small spot of blood appearing on the tip of his finger. Ignoring it, he continued to finish picking up the shattered glass.

"I thought you would have changed it, and I didn't feel like dodging guns and bombs and katanas..." you dragged on the last word, remembering the onslaught of machinery that tried to kill you as you brute forced your way into this very lab.

"Well, I am very busy, so go away."

"If you were busy, you wouldn't have opened the door," you swiftly countered with a cross of your arms. Nine opened his mouth to retaliate but couldn't. With a huff, his ears flattened as he threw the glass in the bin. Pushing the black plastic bin under one of his many desks, he faced you, leaning back on the desk.

"So, why are you here? Last time you broke in, you had an 'adventure' planned," his words cold. Nine's ears forcefully flattened, trying to look agitated by your presence. But you knew better. His eyes were too open and focused on you to be actually annoyed by you.

Placing a hand on your chin, you clearly faked your thought process. Snapping your fingers, you pointed a finger gun towards the fox with a smile.

"I remember why I'm here now," you claimed while holding your hand out to Nine. He stared at your hand blankly. Glancing up, meeting your eyes, his ears perked up in thought. Slowly, his hands approached yours. When it was millimetres from grabbing onto your hand, it stopped.

He hesitated.

His hand shaking.

Could he trust you?

Before you could let him chicken out, you grabbed onto his hand. Yanking him along behind you, you pulled him outside of his hidey hole and out into the open. The laboratory door opened and closed with a clink. Nine struggled to find his footing as he stumbled behind you. Your grip firm and unyielding. You didn't run, but you didn't walk. You moved at a brisk pace, sliding between the crowd of people with ease, while Nine bumped into every Mobian in existence. He constantly yelled at you to slow down but it fell on deaf ears.

Leading him out of the subway, you let go of his, watching him catch his breath. He glared at you annoyed, his metal tails clanking as they lashed.

"What the hell!?" Nine spat, his mouth opening to yell at you some more before you stopped him by placing a hand over his mouth. His cheeks burned a light shade of red at your closeness. His eyes shone as they stared into yours. Tails hanging limply in shock, ears up and alert.

Shaking his head, he smacked your hand down from his face. His face scrunching to hide his blush. Sighing and rolling your eyes, you turned to face the dull red streets of the city. Tilting your head to the side, you silently motioned for Nine to follow you. With a huff, he strolled behind you with crossed arms.

"Where are we going?" Nine harshly whispered. Your ears flicked as he spoke, your head turning to peek over your shoulder at the grumbling fox.

"Nowhere," you simply responded, continuing to walk. Nine froze, starring at you. Spinning around, you took slow steps backward, eyes catching Nine's.

"What do you mean nowhere?"

"We will be somewhere but it's nowhere." He shook his head at your response, reinitiating his legs as he caught up to you.

"Stop speaking like that?"

"Like what?"

"Your riddles. Its annoying," he glared at you.

"No, its engaging. If I told you the straight answer, you wouldn't be caught up in curiosity to find out the answer. So, by speaking like an insane Mobian, I keep you enthralled," you informed, spinning around to walk normally again.

"That... is actually quite clever," his eyes widened at his words, amazed.

"Not everyone is an idiot. And while I may not be a super genius, I got my wit," you tapped you head lightly. As your finger pressed against your head you winced as you touched your stitches. Your hand gently placed itself on the wound as a soft of blanket as you groaned at the sudden pain.

"You sure you even have that?" Nine joked, amusingly watching you as you rub your head.

"Yes... Maybe," you mumbled. Nine lifted an eyebrow at your response, unsatisfied. He hummed at your responses. Jumping to your defence you uttered, "I do have wit, excuse you me!"

"Sure you do."