Welcome back, guys! I know it hasn't even been a week yet, but dammit, when an idea opportunity like this jumps out at you, you have to take it. xD Enjoy!

NOTES:

No ambiguous "potential" pairings here. The Six/twins and Five/Seven pairings are my strong, official, YES THEY ARE TOGETHER FOR REALS pairings for this particular collection of stories. Sorry gaiz! I'll have some more ambiguous stuff for you soon. xDDD

Runaway

Seven had assumed that, upon her return to the church, she would be alone. It wasn't a foolish assumption to make; as far as she knew, none of the others would dare venture outside after dark. Even she was usually wary of straying too far, but she had made an exception this time, staying out until well after sunset so as to avoid the inevitable confrontation with One for as long as possible.

She paused near the burnt-out doors and turned to stare back out at the Emptiness. Its call was beginning to grow stronger than ever. Danger, yes, there was more than enough danger out there, but there was also freedom. Maybe if things were different...

Her thoughts were so far away that she didn't hear the soft patter of footsteps until they were almost on top of her. She whirled, gripping her spear and letting out a fierce snarl—and was startled when the approaching figure let out a cry of fright. There was a soft thump as it hit the ground, scrabbling noises as it backed against the wall, whimpering—

"Six?" The spear clattered harmlessly to the ground. Six flinched away from her as she dropped to her knees beside him, and she cursed mentally—she'd scared the poor thing half to death. "It's all right," she murmured, patting his shoulder as soon as he let her close. "I didn't mean to scare you like that. I won't hurt you, you know that."

"I...I know." Six managed a tremulous smile. "It's okay. Good to be fast. Reflex. Keeps you alive out there."

Seven chuckled wryly. That was true enough, although Six certainly was no threat. She helped him to his feet, brushing the worst of the dust off his back. "What are you doing out here?"

Six looked away, but not before Seven caught his expression growing abruptly serious. "Knew you were coming back. Had to come warn you before..."

"Warn me? Of what?" Alarm bells were beginning to go off in Seven's mind, probably a little too late. "What's happened?"

"One is..." Six winced a little, rubbing at his shoulder. It was only then that Seven noticed the new stitching along the seam of his arm. She hadn't seen it before in the darkness, but now that she was looking she realized the threads were a different color than before (and there was no mistaking Five's neat stitchwork).

Her vision went red.

She must have looked as furious as she felt, because Six cringed again, backing up a few paces. "He's mad," the seer mumbled, clutching at his key. "Been mad all day. Made me tell where you went. Wouldn't tell him when you came back, so Eight..." He shuddered violently. Seven gave his arm a gentle squeeze, and he smiled weakly before continuing. "They're waiting. Won't let you get around. Bad bad bad."

"I can take them." Seven picked up her spear again, a grim little smile on her face. "Eight knows I'm the better fighter, and One wouldn't dare challenge me himself. I'll be fine."

"No you won't!" The desperation in Six's voice made her pause, and he took that opportunity to latch onto her arm, preventing her from leaving. "Not fights, no! Traps! You won't make it, I saw! I saw!"

Traps? Had One really stooped so low as to attempt to trap her, like some kind of animal? The thought made her very essence sing out with fury. She was no dumb beast. She had already proven that she could not be caged. But right now she had to keep her head. "Where did he find traps?"

Six hesitated, nervous tension humming through his grip on her arm. "Five," he said reluctantly. "Forced Five to make them. Eight would've hurt him too if he hadn't..."

It was more than anger that gripped Seven's chest now. One had gone too far. She had made a vow to never bend to his tyranny, but now both Six and Five had become victims because of her. What could she do?

"He's okay," Six said hesitantly. "Five is. Did what they told him to. He's okay."

Seven managed a smile. There it was again, that uncanny knack Six had to know exactly what people were thinking. "That's good to know. Thank you."

"You can't go up there."

Seven stared down at him for a long moment, and let out a soft sigh. "I have to. What other choice is there?"

"Leave."

It took a few seconds for her to realize that Six was serious. But leaving was an option Seven had sworn she would never consider. If she left, who would be there to stand up to One and Eight? She shuddered to think of the things they might do if she weren't there to stop them.

"You know I can't do that," she said gently. "I have to stay here to protect you, I can't just run away."

"Not running," Six insisted. "Our turn. Let us save you. Don't get caged. Go."

"But..." He was adamant, the way he was when what he had to say was important to the point of life or death. Seven shook her head—she didn't want to believe him, but she didn't really have a choice. He had never been wrong before. "Isn't there any other way?"

"I'm sorry," Six mumbled sadly. He hesitated, gripping at his key again. "He...he wasn't going to. Five wasn't. He wasn't going to make the traps, but I told him you'd be okay, I promised. You have to listen, I promised."

Seven almost smiled—the idea of Five standing up to One was something she never would have thought could happen, but it would have been an impressive feat of bravery for him. Maybe she was rubbing off on him after all.

That thought made her proud, and more than a little sad. It was only by exerting her steel force of will that she kept herself from imagining how shattered he would be if she just...left.

Six was still gripping at his key, and Seven knew he was struggling with himself, searching for words to say. He'd never been good with words—his pictures usually spoke for themselves. She waited as patiently as she could, until he finally looked away, arms falling to his sides.

"Take them with you." His voice was almost inaudible.

Seven blinked. "Take...who?"

"Them. The twins. Take them, you have to." Six tilted his head back, staring up at what Seven realized was the window looking out of Three and Four's room. "Bad things coming. They can't stay."

Seven put her hand on Six's shoulder. "I can't take them and leave the rest of you behind."

Six shook his head vehemently. "We have to stay here. Have to. Saw it all. They have to be safe. Safe with you. You have to take them."

He was doing a good job at hiding it, but it hurt him to say that. Seven knew that Three and Four were the most precious things in his entire universe. Asking her to take them away was asking her to tear his universe apart, and it was the hardest and most selfless thing he could ever have done.

A rush of motherly warmth flooded through her, and she drew the seer into an embrace, murmuring...something, she wasn't sure what. Maybe that he didn't have to worry about them. Maybe that everything would be all right. Whatever it was, it made Six's trembling fade away, and he slowly returned the embrace.

They stood there for a minute or two, enveloped in silence. Then Seven stepped resolutely away, knocking her helmet down over her eyes. "I'll keep them safe. I promise."

Unbidden, an image flashed before her eyes—Five pacing the watchtower, peering into the telescope every few moments in the hopes that something, anything, had changed. It had been an amusing thought back when he had first revealed (shyly) that he always watched for her return whenever she went out on her scouting missions. Now it just made her ache. What would he do when he realized she wasn't coming back?

"Tell Five..."

She hesitated, but Six was already nodding vigorously. She embraced him one last time, sympathy flowing through her at the dejected slump of his shoulders as he turned and walked away. He was strong though; it was a different kind of strength than hers, but just as fierce. He would be all right.

Seven set her jaw and began to scale the wall to Three and Four's room. For Six's sake, she would protect them with her life. And someday, when the machines were no longer the greatest threat, she would return to this place and rescue the others as well.

Someday.