Piece of Me
Fandom: 9
Characters: 7 and 1
Word Count: 1,313
Warnings: None
"Now, are you sure you want a piece of me?"
- Brittney Spears, Piece of Me
Piece of Me
7 felt the anger rise in the back of her head, the building pressure nearly making her optics crack. She knew this overwhelming feeling of distaste well. It always accompanied nearly anything 1 said or did. It was fury, rage, a flame that consumed her and demanded 1's life in return for its death. She imagined the look on his face as she sliced his neck open. It was not the first time the thought had crossed her mind, usually over trivial things, but not today. Today the maniac had made a ludicrous declaration. It went against everything that 7 knew to be true about freedom.
"He's fine where he is!" she shouted, slamming the butt of her spear into the floor so that the knick knacks piling up around 6's cluttered room shuttered in fear.
"He's not stable," 1 shot back. "He needs looking after. Someone must keep him quiet, or his fits will lead the beast straight to us!"
"I'll watch him!"
"Likely," he spat, waving the idea aside with his clawed fingers. "You're never here. Too busy…exploring – with them!"
The look on her face became all the more hostile when he pointed at the twins with a look of disdain in his eyes. They hid behind her swiftly, but she paid their clutching, nervous fingers no mind. She knew he couldn't stand them or her. They were too explorative, too free. He tried to keep them on lock down at all times, but not the twins and her. No, never! Freedom was life for them. He couldn't contain such spirit. 6, on the other hand, was too timid to stand up for himself. So, when 1 announced the artist would be moving to a nook off the side of his throne room, 7 had to stand for him. No one else would. She gave 2 an angry look as she went on, eyes returning to 1's hideous face.
"5 will watch him."
"5 has his own duties, as do we all!" 1 shouted, calming soon after. He placed a hand to his chest regally. "I am the only one who can watch him without interference in responsibilities."
"And why is that?!" 7 demanded, giving the air at her right a taste of her blade as she swung her spear in anger. The twins scurried away to hide behind 2 and 5. "Because you have no responsibility? Because you sit on your throne and issue orders to us lower subjects? Because you aren't half as important as you think you are?!"
This may have been a mistake, and 2 gasped as 1's eyes narrowed, mouth worked up in a frown like none the older stitchpunk had seen before. He took a step towards the young girl, raising his staff above his head. 2 tried to reach them in time to interfere, but his old limbs weren't as quick as 7's. She took her spear and thrust it at his neck. It stopped short of piercing his skin, and 1 looked shocked as did the others in the room. The angry words that came next practically boiled and bubbled from the corner of 7's tightly pressed lips.
"Do you really want a piece of me, old man?"
8 was quick to join in the confrontation the moment his leader's life became threatened. 7 looked up as he moved towards her, gripping his blade tightly and growling under his breath. The stupid brute! She gave him a glare and stood down, spear quick to resume its firm stance at her side. It stood with her, because no one else here would. She turned to look at 6, and her face slowly relaxed – very slowly. It was almost painful as the hate seeped out of her face and fell away. She walked over to 6 and placed a hand on his shoulder, trying to look supportive.
"What do you want, 6?" she whispered.
6 opened his mouth to speak but 1's staff slammed into the ground, and it closed immediately, mismatched eyes looking away from her in fear. The junk around the room shook again, and all heads turned towards 1 as he stalked over.
"What does it matter, what he wants?!" he demanded, as though the very thought of 6 even having an opinion on the matter was ridiculous. "This is for the good of everyone!"
"Let him speak!" 7 spat, turning to face him again.
"Insolence!" 1 exploded, almost in her face now. "Impertinent youth! You have no idea what I've done to keep you safe, and this is how you repay me!?"
"This is how I repay a jailor!" she shouted back, refusing to back down. "This is how I repay a tyrant, and this is how I repay an old man who validates his own existence by controlling others!"
1 didn't even see the spear move, when he was suddenly swept off his feet. A look of sympathy crossed 2's face as he hurried to help his elder up, but 8 made it there first. 2 grabbed his elbow as he was hefted to his feet by the larger stitchpunk. 7 shot him a death glare, and 2 looked away. 8 released 1's waist, and he wiped the dust from his chest before turning his angry eyes back to her.
"Out," he whispered. "Get out."
Everyone looked shocked, and the twins ran to 7's side. They wrapped their arms around her waist and gave 1 pleading looks, shaking their heads with rapidly flashing eyes. 1 could not be persuaded by their begging and certainly not by the soft protest of 2 at his side.
"Enough! I said, out!" he exclaimed, pointing to the door. "If any of you have a problem with that, feel free to go with her."
1 turned from them all and stormed out of the room. 6 looked unsure of what to do, but 8 tilted his head in the direction of 1's exit, so he followed with his head bowed in fear, fingers nervously clutching at one another. He wouldn't look at 7 as he passed, and she felt a sickening hatred for them all growing inside her. They let him do this. It was their fault he had such control over them all. It was their fault she was so miserable. She lifted her spear and pierced a doll that sat in the corner of 6's former room. He wouldn't be back for it, she was sure, and her spear was given a twist at the thought of his instant obedience. She gave the others a look that clearly showed how she felt about them all, turned, and disappeared into the dark doorway. The twins were quick to chase after her, but the others remained where they stood, watching the whole scene with uncertainty and fear. What else could they do?
2 shook his head softly and put a hand to his eyes. 5 placed an arm around his shoulder to comfort his mentor, but it didn't seem to help. They all knew she would be back. It wasn't the first time 1 had "exiled" her, but that look she had given him….. He could feel a gut-wrenching guilt in the pit of his being. He knew she was right, in her way, to be angry, but he also knew there was no fighting 1. One had to humor the elder, not fight him. 7's temper did not afford her the chance to learn that lesson. It only served to push her further and further from them all. One day she would not return. 2 dreaded that day more than anything in this world. He let 5 continue his attempts to console him, but his heart would never quite heal from that look.