Chapter Text
“I’m so sorry, Two, but I have to look for her. I can’t just sit here while One is missing and nobody is doing anything about it!”
“But Three, you can’t just leave! Please, we need you here in the Playground. And you know, Six just emerged not too long ago and they need you!”
“I won’t be long. One can’t be too far. You know she wouldn’t disappear without warning.”
“But, Three—”
The red integer turned away from his friend, a stone cold expression on his face. Why were they so persistent? Did they not care about One as much as he did?
“No. You guys will be fine without me. Just take care of Four and Six for me, okay?”
Three felt a gentle hand on his wrist, a grip desperate yet gentle. It was almost like they didn’t truly want to stop him, but they were scared to say goodbye. He looked back at Two, seeing how they were almost in tears and they looked terrified, their little baker’s hat crooked from the distress that they were feeling. In the corner of his eye, he saw a blue integer— not One —staring down at him from the upper level, the lenses of their glasses gleaming as their head peaked over the railing of the loft. Three felt tense.
He sighed softly, taking off his yellow scarf and gently placing it in the hands of the green integer, backing away to see their face contorting into fear and desperation, their eyes slowly going back up to him.
“Th-Three, I can’t take this!” They stammered, their hands shaking. “What do you want me to— I can’t—”
“You can keep it or give it to the new number,” Three muttered, turning away one final time as Two’s fingers clutched the cloth tightly. Maybe there was the glimmer of tears in their eyes, but he had turned away too quickly. “In case I don’t come back.”
“What? Why wouldn’t you come back?! You said One couldn’t be far!” Two was panicking.
“One could do anything… and maybe she’ll come back before I can find her. Whatever, I will be back, I just don’t know when.” Three didn’t know what he was talking about, he just couldn’t stand to see them upset.
Two’s breath shook. He couldn’t stand to hear them like this, so he started walking out the door. The green integer called out to him, but he kept walking along.
“You can’t leave me alone! Three!”
He tensed but kept walking.
“Three!”
Two stood in the doorway, their tears falling onto the yellow cloth in their grasp. They watched as their friend moved on, wishing they were able to at least hug them goodbye. Two’s breath hitched, their body shaking.
“I can’t lose you too.”
Three was tapping his foot rapidly, sitting down in an oddly comfortable chair in an unfamiliar place. Why did Two and One have to take him here? Why couldn’t they give him a bit of rest before immediately dragging him here? Four was a familiar face, someone he felt a bit weary of, but he didn’t know X. Wait… Why was he sitting in here alone? Shouldn’t have Four and this supposed X been here to greet them when they came in? Math, what even happened to him before?
He heard footsteps coming his way, his head snapping up to see One coming in the room. They smiled at him, coming over to sit next to him.
“Two is talking to them a bit,” she said, shifting away a bit to give Three some more space. “Four and X just kinda let us walk in so they don’t really bother to greet us sometimes.”
That’s a bit rude… Three thought to himself.
A minute later, Two walked out with Four following behind them. Did the blue integer look a bit taller? Impossible, they never aged or grew as far as he remembered, but something about Four just seemed different. The blue integer eyed him, an expressionless stare that he always seemed to give. At least that didn’t change about him. Behind Four, a yellow cross-looking algebralien stepped up, being shorter than both Four and Two. They had a small lavender rose on one of the nubs on their head. Ah, that must be X.
X smiled and went up to Three, eagerly but at a comfortable pace. They opened up their arms and squeezed him gently, but he tensed a little, not having the contact in a while. Plus, he hardly knew who this was.
“So that’s what you look like,” they said, a voice soft yet full of energy as they looked up at him. “It’s been awhile!”
Three looked up, confused, scanning around the room. One didn’t seem to get it until she looked at Two and Four’s expressions, her own dawning with realization. He felt like there was something he was missing. Everything felt like it was deja vu.
“I’ve, uh, never met you before?” the red integer asked quietly, feeling a bit nervous now. X pulled back and looked up at him, frowning a bit and stepping back.
“Oh! Right, I’m sorry.” He smiled worriedly and stuck out a hand instead. “I’m X.”
Three took it. “Three. Nice to meet you, new number.”
X’s smile thinned.
Two came up behind X and put a hand on his head, looking at him with a reassuring gaze. “We’ll catch up. Don’t worry, X.” X seemed to calm down as the green integer couldn’t keep their hand on him for too long, snatching it back up again with a small shake. They were getting better with their fear, it seemed. At least they seemed more comfortable with certain things like hugs (if they associated it first).
Three’s gaze trailed up to Four, seeing how he was still looking at him. Something in him felt dread, and maybe a slight prick all around his throat.
“Hey, Four,” he attempted but was cut off by his cold tone.
“Three.”
He felt tense and looked down. One put her prosthetic hand on Three’s shoulder and shot a glare at Four.
“Be nice,” she said in a warning tone. “He just got back. Give him a break.”
Four scoffed and crossed his arms. Two looked over at him and frowned, giving him a gentle nudge in warning. The blue integer glared at them as X slipped next to him, grabbing his hand with both of his and squeezing softly. Three still couldn’t shake off the feeling he was missing something, or rather forgetting something. Forgetting the reason he had been gone, when he just blinked and suddenly was here now, years later when apparently the equation Playground had changed and grown tremendously. Actually, Two and One had revived him in a completely unfamiliar place, and Four and X were definitely not living in the Equation Playground. Where exactly were they right now?
The green integer patted their sibling on the shoulder and walked toward One and Three. “We’ll leave you be now and give Three a chance to rest for a bit. We just thought it’d be nice to see us all together again.” Four grabbed Two’s wrist, making them tense. “Four, it’s been years.”
“I know.”
“Let go of me.”
He hesitated, keeping his grip on them. They shook him off in a small panic and went to help Three up, offering a small smile. Three felt comforted by the smile, yet could feel how Four’s lingering gaze went back on them. What was his deal? He knew Four used to be quiet, and One and Two claimed that he was a lot more talkative, but there was definitely a lingering tension in the room.
“Uh,” X started, trying to break the silence, “you know all are welcome to come back here anytime you need, right? We don’t mind, right, Foury?”
Four made a small sound. Two looked back at them and One clasped her prosthetic hands together.
“Yes, thank you both. You’re more than welcomed back to the cabin too,” she said with a smile before deadpanning to Four. He averted his gaze from the group.
Two waved and quickly took Three out of the house, One following behind and closing the door behind the trio. The green integer groaned softly, putting their hands over their eyes as they walked. One came around and put a hand on their shoulder, mumbling a small question of assurance before they nodded.
“You knew he was going to be like that,” she said softly.
Two’s grip on their own face tightened. “I thought he’d be over it by now. I thought he said he’d move on!”
Three attempted to chime in, saying, “Well, you know how Four is. I mean. Maybe he’s changed now. I really don’t know…” his voice got quieter as he trailed off, not knowing where he was even trying to go with that sentence. He was just rambling at this point, because he didn’t know who anybody was anymore. He’d like to think that One and Two had stayed the same, but that was an ignorant thought. Everybody is destined to change eventually. Maybe he was changing at this moment.
Two looked at Three, a small smile cracking on their face in amusement. “No, you’re right, Three. He’s always had that kind of attitude, hasn’t he?”
Three smiled a bit, feeling better that he was at least able to make small talk with them again. One patted their shoulder.
“He’ll get used to you being around, Three,” she said reassuringly. “He didn’t exactly give me the most warm welcome…” Two laughed but it died down quickly, their eyes staring off and full of guilt. One sighed and pulled them closer, smiling. “Let’s not worry about that right now. How about we worry about keeping Three comfortable and letting them adjust to life at the Playground?”
Three nodded. “That sounds good.”
Two held their arm out to Three, silently asking him to join the small hug that they and One were having. He pressed closer to them, still minding their boundary of touch and letting them adjust to their liking. He himself felt a bit nervous and tense, but at least he was with some familiar faces.
These familiar faces that had hopefully not become unrecognizable to him.