First Steps Towards the Ending

#9

Dolon strolled through the bedroom door and descended the staircase. He had left Zhen in the bedroom to get some much-needed rest. He was in #9's store. An old man spun around from his seat at the store's counter and greeted him energetically. "Dolon! Good to see you're up! Well, most of you is. Now that you're down here, let's talk! I was getting bored." He was met blankly. Dolon broke the silence. "Too soon old man, too soon."

#9 was an old dexterous man. He had made the pair their masks and driven by his desire to kill time in interesting ways, was capable of making just about anything. For Dolon and Zhen he made his craft free of charge. He chuckled. "If losing your arm means you lost your sense of humor then I want you out of my shop."

"I ain't leavin' yet." Dolon insisted. "Not until ya make me a new arm." #9 burst out laughing. "Hahahaha! You really haven't lost your sense of humor now, have you? Do you realize the intense amount of detail that makes up an entire arm? I saw it all when I did the job on you! Every, tendon, vein, nerve, bone, muscle. Do you really have the gall to ask me to make one of those?" Dolon started towards the man and stared him down. "Looks like yer not using your imagination. I'll lay it out for ya old man. It don't GOT to be like the old one. What I want is a simple metal prosthetic with a compartment for-"

"Wait!" #9 yelled.

Dolon did a double take and was saved from another unfortunate fall by the counter. #9 rushed through one of his drawers and brought out a notebook. "Continue." He said with anticipation, pen in hand. Dolon smirked.

"As I was saying, what if there were a compartment for bullets, bandages, or even explosives?" #9 jotted furiously. Seemingly far more than what Dolon was suggesting. He muttered as he wrote. "Got it. Hidden compartment, hidden blade, perhaps even hidden firearm. Can be swung around to create a unique fighting style using the force from Dolon's shoulder. Perhaps even detachable for use as a weapon on its own. Coincides with the above blade or firearm ideas, might as well put some laser beams on the damned thing."

Dolon nodded and nodded as #9 continued. "Now yer catchin' on. I knew ya had a little imagination. Now what was that about laser beams?" #9 laughed. "I was pulling your leg. Funny you fell for it though."

Dolon groaned and walked around #9 to see what he was writing. But #9 hugged his notepad to his chest. "Stop right there, knuckle-brains. This'll be MY surprise. You start thinking about how you'll go about that 'subtle marketing.'" Dolon turned to watch him open the door to his back room when it hit him. "Subtle marketing... were ya listenin' to our whole fuckin' conversation?!" #9 chuckled. "My shop you know. I get to hear whatever I want." With that he slammed the door and locked it. Dolon called out to him.

"The hell am I supposed to do with the shop?" #9 grumbled through the door. "Watch it." So that Dolon did. He sat in #9's chair and watched the shop. Though given the fact he was alone with next to no customers, he was allowed some time to think. As he did, it all set in. It's weird to think that the arm I was born with is gone. I wonder where #9 put it. How will I adapt? He thought. Not having an arm is gonna be a bitch to get used to. But I know #9 can't make it perfect. He can make a shell. Not a limb. He tickled his imagination with what #9 was engineering when he was tapped on the shoulder.

He turned around to find a bed-headed Zhen. "Your turn to sleep." She yawned. The Yawn spread to Dolon as he answered. "Thank god. I was startin' to think too hard." Zhen gave him a confused look, but he dismissed her. "G'night. I'll see ya tomorrow morning." Dolon walked up the stairs and collapsed into the bed.

An eventful day with extreme consequences followed by a mundane one. He spotted Zhen's phone lying on the chair. Dolon panicked. Wasn't Eadberht tracking us through those? He got out of bed, picked up the phone, and turned it on. It flashed on and displayed the date and time. 9:06 pm April 24th, 2021. Dolon paused at the date. Wait, wasn't I knocked out on the 17th? That was a week ago! He powered off the phone. Funny how Zhen and #9 didn't think to mention I was out for a whole day. I'll ask Zhen what we should do with the phone in the morning. With that thought in mind, he returned to the bed and fell into a deep sleep.