Chapter Text
Ever since the whole world flooded with lava, zero had been worrying about a certain carmine colored hermit.
Even though the thought of her was a sore spot after the tape incident, he still maintained his feelings. After all, it wasn’t her fault he forgot to burn the tape. Or the events that occurred after that…
During the flooding fifteen never heeded the evacuation warnings and gather in zero’s bunker. Go figure, she never seemed to like crowds. Though he thought such a life threatening event might change that.
In the end he couldn’t be more thankful fifteen didn’t attend. Who knows how she would have reacted…
—
[During the flood]
Zero could hear the pitter patter of lava entering the bunker, they didn’t have much time. The lava reached his back sending shock up his body.
“Ouch!”
Zero pushed ahead of everyone who was currently watching home videos of his failures and laughing.
He stood in front of the TV “ok guys, we have no time to waste. This place will be full of lava in no time!”
“Oh yeah, I forgot about the apocalypse” seven muttered.
Zero hurriedly shoved another unmarked tape into the TV only to be met by It displaying a closed door.
His eyes looked like a deer caught in headlights. He quickly swiped the tape away “Uh, not this one..”
“Huh, why?” Six chimed in.
“It’s not important….” Sweat started to trickle off his face.
“Why are you still holding it then?” Six turning more confused and irritated.
Zero’s heartbeat got quicker, he felt like he was unable to breathe, and his eyes made him look 10 times more sleep deprived.
The other zeros voices bubbled up with excitement “No way! Is it the video! I thought it was destroyed! His eyebrows raised.
“Is it a video about the thing?” Six questioned.
Another zero spoke up with tenaciousness “Better!”
The previous zero spoke again in a relentless fashion. “You have to let us watch it! You have to! He said this while jumping up and down, waving his arms around.
“NO!”
Another zero came to the front next to Zero. “Well, there’s four of us and one of you!”
“We have to watch every video Zero!” Six reminded.
“NOT THIS ONE!” He grew more defensive.
“I know its not the one were are looking for!”
He moved his arms holding the tape out of the reach of the other zeros as he got tackled by two of them. They carried him over to the fridge right of the TV and past the labeled water jugs.
“I’M BEGGING! PLEASE DON’T!” his desperate screams echoed through the poorly sealed bunker.
“You can’t do this to me! For the love of all algebra stop!” He said while being carried away into the freezer.
Before being shoved in, the zero took the tape from him.
“Thats for flushing us down a toilet!” They said with a proud stature.
Zero banged on the door, his muffled attempts at getting them to open the door not seeming to work.
“I’m gonna count to three! One, two-“
The click of the tape entering the slot for the TV could be heard.
The TV displayed the door again, with the sound of footsteps.
Still trapped in the fridge, Zero’s face went pale realizing what this meant.
The video continued as the door creaked open. Zero placed kisses onto a pillow tucked under his arm.
“Oh, fifteen..” he said rubbing the pillow and continuing to kiss it.
From beyond the screen laughter could be heard from the four zeros. Zero could feel his face turn hot and red.
“Listen!” A zero interrupted.
Audio from the tape was heard. “What’s that fifteen? You wanna get married? Yes!”
The deafening laughter of the zeros worsened. Zero felt more red, not only with embarrassment, but also anger…
The rest of the night went not much better, but eventually the land returned to its non lava ridden self and peace was restored.
—
[Two days after the flood]
Zero had been worried about fifteen after the flood and made the journey to her cabin.
Zero walked up to her estate but instead of seeing her cabin, a pile of ash took up place instead. And all around was dead grass and burnt pine trees.
“This was a mistake…” zero mumbled to himself solemnly.
Sure, at face value this visit was just check up on her to see if she was safe but it was painful obvious to most that he had bias.
Nowhere to be seen was fifteen. Zero looked throughout the crumbling debris of her house to no avail.
“I should go back home..”
He cut his losses and started hobbling away from the scene. All not before coughing up ash he previously, and accidentally inhaled.
—
[Two months after the flood]
Zero looked up from under his covers, rubbing his eyes while looking at the fresh morning sky. His computer read 6:41 In the bottom right corner.
He stood up, stretching and grabbing his hat from beside his bed. Usually he sleeps with it, even though he gets made fun of for it relentlessly by the other zeros. He didn’t like how they all looked the same. Sure he could tell them apart but not everyone could. His hat made him more individualized, and he liked that. Even if it meant sacrificing his dignity in order to do so. Or at least thats what he told himself when the others would laugh at his choice in style.
Zero unlocked the door reaching outside. He had kept a habit of locking it after one to many invasions of privacy. He walked past a zero in the hallway.
“Sup zero.. hows it hanging.”
“Just fine thanks.”
Zero ducked his eyes and kept walking. He entered the kitchen, two zeros were talking by the window and another was at the counter eating loser o’s.
“Morning guys!”
“…”
Zero grumbled and picked up pace ignoring the lack of enthusiasm his fellow numbers had. He swung the door open and marched down the stairs, trying to keep his false sense of confidence going.
Zero exited the equation playground, trying to keep his walk steady and fast. Many hours passed. His feet grew soar as he transversed through yellow fields, green spiky grass, and an eerie cliff.
He stopped for a minute looking up at the setting sun. Zero mentality kicked themselves, remembering how long it would have took them last time if not for getting a ride from nine. Nine was concerned about fifteen but much too scared to go back, opting to lend a hand to an overly eager zero.
He decided to keep walking remembering that a city was not too far up ahead. Zero passed the sludgy green biome that lead him to the city. Last time he was in this city was when he was trying to start a career of stand up comedy. An endeavor that would cost him money, time, and his self confidence.
Zero found the closest bus stop and got on the next bus. He payed the fair and sat down on the crummy floral printed seats, soon falling asleep.
By the time his stop came he was awoken by the rising sun of a new day. He had finally reached the edge of the pine forest, the trees almost fully recovered. How quickly the environment recovered from burning hot lava most definitely confused him. Though that whole situation was a real pickle.
Though after that long journey, all zero wanted to do was see fifteen. Zero passed all the “KEEP OUT” signs, edging him deeper into the forest.
Zero reached the newly remade house, all of the signs being noticeable less rusty and chipped than before. He felt his stomach start to flutter, keeping his insides knotted.
With a sweaty hand Zero reached over to the door, placing 3 hard knocks onto it.
“I SWEAR TO GOD IF YOU GUYS DON’T LEAVE RIGHT-“
Fifteen cracks the door open, the anger shifting off of her face.
“Oh.. it’s you” she said as she set down her gun out of his view.
Zero looked away, his face turning slightly pink in hue. He tried to talk but he couldn’t muster a word, instead just twiddling with his fingers.
“So…”
Fifteenth stared at Zeros little pitiable stature.
“Why are you here?” Fifteen questioned.
Zero looked up, raising his eyes to her. He felt so honored to be in her presence. She wasn’t the most friendly number, even so many still seemed to have adoration for her. Zero most certainly did! But- he was the only one she deemed worthy enough to not be pointed at with a flame thrower.
She didn’t like anyone! And yet, he was still more comfortable in her presence than even his own fellow zeros.
Zero stammered “Well.. ahem- I was.. well..”
Fifteen stood there patiently, not verbally noting his stuttering.
“Right.. I was worried about you..”
Zeros face grew bright red as fifteen’s grew visibly confused, her stolen sunglasses shifting down from the top of her number.
“What I meant to say was, I wanted to see if you were alright after the lava flood..”His voice sounded a bit shaky.
“I know your house is made out of wood, and you didn’t come to my bunker when it happened so.. I didn’t know if you had made it.” His tone grew more sorrowful and serious.
Fifteen looked a bit dumbfounded. “I see…”
Zero looked a bit panicked, unsure of her true reaction underneath her cooled expression.
“That’s nice of you to think of me..” Fifteen’s upper lip raised slightly.
“I figured something out.. don’t worry about it. I ended up fine.
“Good!- good- I’m glad to heard it!”
Zero wore a dumb smile cringing to himself at his failure to properly communicate without making a total fool of himself.
“Was that all you wanted to say?..” she looked down upon his slumped body.
“Oh well, I guess so.. haha.”
Fifteens calm keeled expression put Zero at ease. It was weird to see her like this, most of the time she was a lot more adverse to algebralein connection.
“You can come in if you want to..”
Zeros eyes widened “what- really?”
She creaked open the door, widened it enough for zero to fit through. The door isn’t able to open any more than that due to the chain pulling it almost closed.
Zero entered fifteens house.