Number 7

The two walked in silence, heading back to where they had left the others.

As they walked, Marcus found his eyes glued to the sky above.

"Seven times... eh?", he whispered.

"I guess it's a lot, isn't it?", Sylvia commented with a light smile.

Closing his eyes, Marcus laughed lightly as he mocked his own situation.

"Seven times in the course of 24 hours... haha... I must have broken a record, no?"

"I think you did that the second you hit two."

Hitting him with such a logical statement, the two looked to one another before bursting out into laughter together.

"Hahaha! Ah, I suppose that's right, isn't it!?"

"Yep! Haha!"

The two laughed before they found themselves wiping their tears, which were now both tainted red with blood.

"Ah... I suppose the rotting within our bodies has spread even to our tears now. We can't even cry properly anymore."

"I guess so."

The two continued walking, soon turning a corner to see the others waiting in the courtyard.

However as they approached, a voice spoke inside their minds - one which both could hear.

[Wrong. My record is 63], Seven cackled.

[And mine is 75], One added.

As they continued to walk, the expressions of the two straightened as they heard this.

Silence overcame the two as they slowly comprehended the meaning of the words which the two monsters had just spoken.

"So I might have to endure that much suffering... is that what you're trying to say?", Marcus whispered with determination in his voice.

However, there was no answer.

"It doesn't matter.", Sylvia said while looking to see Amy climbing on the arms of Number Two as if she were a monkey on a jungle gym, laughing all the while.

With a wry smile, Sylvia then looked over to see three children who sat at a table with worried expressions, who were watching with concern over whether anything was alright between Marcus and Sylvia.

"We're the adults here. And as the adults... we're the ones who have to figure everything out. It's our job to worry so that those kids over there don't have to.", she said.

And then, lifting up her scarred hand as she clutched it back and forth as if grasping something, the woman thinned her eyes with a gleam of madness.

"Even if we go insane doing so."

"Haha..."

"Haha..."

The two chuckled, madness slowly slipping into their laughs.

As they approached the others, a single thought enveloped the minds of the two.

'We are businesspeople.'

'And we will use every advantage we have.'

'To get what we want.'

'Even if that advantage is death itself.'

However, there was one gaping question.

Something which Marcus knew was missing, yet he refused to even so much as ask the question.

Something so crucial, which he could not give a clear answer to at this moment.

'What do I want?'

----

"Ehehe!! You're so strong, Number Two! Dad couldn't throw me anywhere near as high as you can!"

[Strength is something which is easily acquired if you are willing to sacrifice your mind for it. Ah... not that I CHOSE to sacrifice myself for such a thing.]

As the man said this, he threw the young girl into the air so high that one might have believed he was sending her into orbit.

[Ah... just like… what did they call those things? Ah, that's right. Cosmonauts. Or I suppose in this location it would be astronauts? I wonder why you humans have different words for the same things. Ah... that's right. I remember now. It's because you like to distinguish your ideologies from those of others.]

Catching the girl with a single hand, the man rambled on to himself as he looked over to the two who approached him.

[Hosts of One and Seven. I see that you've come back. And I see clearly that your expressions now carry... a slight bit of madness.]

Grinning, the man placed the girl down with gentleness as he stroked his chin with a smile.

[Excellent.]

"What do you mean, excellent?", Sylvia said as her expression became rotten. "There's nothing excellent about the shit I had to go through just now. Ah... but you will keep your promise, right? After all..."

Speaking with a cheeky grin, the woman thinned her eyes as she spoke with unjustified confidence to the man who inspired a sense of terror wherever he went.

"You wouldn't want to lower yourself to the level of THAT MAN, would you?"

[Hah... I see that you are beginning to understand me, woman. I am a strategist by nature, a scientist by my current profession, and curious in inclination. However, even if it is to satisfy my own curiosity... I will not resort to the same methods which he used."]

Glancing to the side with a smile, the man added on to his statement.

[To an extent.]

"But you can't kill us anymore. Is that not correct?"

[To say that I cannot would be to overestimate your own standing, human. However I will not- unless I see it as absolutely necessary.]

"That's cheap. But I guess I can't expect much."

[Haha... did you think you could use this to push me around as you like?]

"Perhaps."

[I would like to remind you of your place... however due to our own agreement and because I am not particularly thirsty to witness suffering, I will refrain. However, never forget.]

It was at that moment that Marcus and Sylvia felt constraints appear around their throats.

Then, looking forward, the man was gone.

[If I truly was pushed to do so, I could slaughter you both in less than a moment. And do not think for even a second that something as simple as a spoken agreement would stop me from doing what is best for myself. After all... I have no intention of being played a fool just to keep my word.]

From behind them, the man whispered this into each of their ears.

It was a mere moment, yet he had disappeared and wrapped tentacles around the necks of the two without giving either the time for a single breath.

"Is there... something that I am missing here?", Marcus wheezed as he glanced at Sylvia.

[Ah... I suppose you are not aware, are you? The woman is likely... hm... I suppose this is what one can call humility? No, that is not exactly it. Ah... haha... I see...]

Slithering around the two to look them each in their eyes, the expressions of the two went from confident to terrified in an instant as the grip on their necks tightened.

[Yes, that must be it. You were concerned that the man wouldn't be able to live with himself if he knew the TRIALS which you went through while he SLEPT.]

"S... stop talking...", Sylvia choked out with a grimace.

[I don't believe you hold the right to speak to me like that. After all...]

It was at that moment that the tentacles squeezed around the necks of the two with enough pressure to cause them to spit up blood.

"Blergh!!"

"Urgh!! Blegh!!"

The eyes of the two twitched as Marcus and Sylvia found themselves lifted into the air, and their necks strained as if they were about to be hung to death.

[My deal was that I would not KILL you. However you surely know already...]

Dropping the two, both fell to the ground violently while they panted for breath, throwing up blood all the while.

"Ugh... ugh..."

"Huff... hah... hah..."

[There are so many things in this world which are worse than death.]

With a pause, the man’s tone lowered as he spoke his next words.

[Yet the worst thing in this world... is not being able to die.]

With a chuckle, the man laughed to himself as he crossed his arms.

[You seem to have resolved yourselves to death. That much is acceptable. But have you resolved yourselves to live?]

It was at that moment, as the two regained themselves, that they realized.

'How...'

'Could we have been so stupid?'

'Using death?'

'Hah...'

'Hahaha....'

Tears of blood formed in the eyes of both as their crushed necks slowly healed, allowing their breathing to take natural patterns once more.

'We truly must have already lost our minds.'

[Do as you please, humans. I have no further intention to interfere. I merely saw that you were not yet in the state which you needed to be... and reminded you of your own position. Ah... the child. I will be taking her. We will be searching for the one who she will host. To you two hosts, and to the ones inside you... I leave you with my daughter. If even a scratch comes upon her, then I will slaughter you more times than I have died.]

It was at that moment that Marcus and Sylvia looked up at the man, who carried the young girl in his arms.

Her eyes were filled with madness, and her smile was beyond anything they could ever imagine.

"I'm going on an adventure with Number Two! Bye bye for now, Miss Sylvia and Mr. Marcus!!"

"What..."

Spitting out the words, Marcus found himself choking on his own blood before he could even finish.

"I... can't let you do-"

Standing up, Sylvia felt a hand on her shoulder.

[You do not have the power to do anything to stop me. I will not allow any harm to come to the girl as per our deal... but I will not follow your demands in any other way. Goodbye.]

With this statement, the man disappeared.

The wind flowed around the two, who were left to look around as their throats healed only to see that the two were gone.

And it was at that moment, that the two broke.

"How... could this happen?", Marcus croaked.

"How... could we have allowed this to happen?", Sylvia squeaked as she held her hand to her chest.

[Heh.]

[Hah..]

[Hehehe...]

[Hahaha....]

[It's because you humans are powerless before us.]

Reminding them once more of their situation, Number One and Number Seven spoke without reserve as they laughed at the predicament of the two.

[And yet even despite that powerlessness... you were ARROGANT enough to think that you could SAVE US and PROTECT those who were important to you.]

The two laughed.

They laughed and laughed and laughed, filling the minds of both Marcus and Sylvia to the point where they were both holding their heads in madness.

"Stop!!!"

"STOP THIS!!!"

They shouted and tears came to their eyes, but the laughter did not stop.

"Bring... bring her back!!", Marcus screamed.

However it was then that Seven responded with a cackle.

[What? Are you not going to GET her back?]

[Heh...]

[What ever happened to dying as many times as was needed?]

[What ever happened to suffering for the sake of your goals?]

[Here's a goal for you, Marcus. Get going.]

As Number Seven said these words, the eyes of the two became blank.

The two looked to the ground, devoid of emotion as they opened their mouths in shock.

"I... see.", Sylvia whispered.

Then, holding her hand to her forehead, her expression wrinkled as she cried.

And the tears which flowed from her eyes ceased to be the red color of blood.

"We... were arrogant.", she whispered.

Gripping the dirt, the woman pounded the ground with her weak fist.

"I wanted to prevent her from having to suffer like this.", she whimpered. "I... I wanted to prevent her from becoming the plaything of another one of them..."

"She isn't that weak."

As the two sat there in the dirt, they found themselves jerked up as the calm voice of a young man entered their ears.

Looking up, they were met with the brother of the girl who had been taken, who stood there with folded arms and a firm expression.

"Amy... will be just fine. Now get your asses up so that we can form a plan to get her back."

'Ah.'

'To think that something so simple... could make me fall to such a state...'

'To think that only a single failure was all it took... to push me beyond the edge.'

Marcus felt pathetic.

When the brother of the girl stood there firmly, despite his wetted eyes, no tears fell.

He stood there strong, holding in his emotions without complaint while the two had bawled and shouted.

It was disgusting.

Standing up, Marcus balled a trembling fist, however he then looked at this fist and unbawled it, holding his hand to the woman beside him as he helped her up.

"You are correct.", he said with gritted teeth.

"That... is right.", Sylvia added.

Walking over to the table, the two wiped their bloody tears as they sat down once more, preparing to formulate a plan.

"The enemy is listening in, and will know our every thought.", Marcus stated.

"The situation is completely hopeless, and we are forced to allow them to do as they please.", Sylvia added.

"What then... can we even do about such a thing?", Gordon asked as he looked down to the ground in shame.

Closing his eyes, Marcus whispered quietly, yet his words were heard clear as day in the silence of the night.

"There is nothing we can do except to move forward."

----

Move forward.

It was foolish.

Idiotic.

The very concept of such a thing made Marcus want to hurl out the contents of his stomach, but his newly regenerated throat would disagree with such a thing.

'How many times do I have to DIE before I get it?'

"Heh."

Sitting before the other four with a pathetic expression, Marcus buried his face into his hand.

'How many times do I have to have it proven to me, over and over?'

"We... are going to forget about Amy."

'How many times do I have to be told in every way imaginable... including my own death?'

Looking up with eyes reddened with torment, Marcus spoke with a crackling in his hoarse voice.

"She is gone."

"So you plan on just forgetting about her?", Sylvia spit with a slanderous tongue.

"And what else did you have in mind?", Marcus replied without hesitation, grabbing his hair to the point where he was about to pull it out. "Perhaps we would rush over like heroes and save the girl from her kidnapper?"

Slamming his fist on the table, Marcus spoke in a low tone as he bit back his emotions.

"We don't even know where the hell she could have gone. And it could be ANYWHERE in this world. Hell... maybe they aren't even in this world anymore."

"We know one thing!"

With tears forming in her eyes, Sylvia shouted out desperately as soon as Marcus had spoken, breathing heavily as she looked up to him with saddened eyes.

"There... there's one glimmer of hope here!"

"And what is that?"

"He said... he was going to find the one to host her."

Panting as she grabbed her throat, which was now healed completely yet still in pain from being crushed, Sylvia spoke with complete and utter desperation in her voice as she clung to a slim thread.

"I... see."

Stopping in thought, Marcus looked forward as he took in deep breath after deep breath.

The children sitting at the table merely looked down without saying a word, for there were no words to be said.

The situation was truly hopeless.

Of course Marcus would be angry.

Of course Sylvia would be desperate.

Of course they would act like this.

It was obvious the moment that something precious was taken from them with such ease that they would lose all sense of importance.

"I... need to find out. What happened to Number Five.", Marcus said in a cold tone, looking up with a deadly look in his eyes.

Turning to Sylvia, Marcus spoke again.

"I need to find out more about the experiments. I need to find out more about the parasites or people or whatever they are. I need to find out where that facility is... whether Number Five is still there... whether she went off somewhere like the others... I need to find out."

"Hey... wait just a minute, Marcus...."

Sylvia held her hand out to the man, but he held out his to stop her as a smile slowly drew itself across his face.

"I found the solution. Ah... how simple it was. Haha..."

"Marcus. You don't mean-"

"Oh, but I do."

"You can't do that. I won't let you."

Marcus found Sylvia grabbing his hands as he reached to his side, only to realize that he had lost his weapons at some point.

"Why not?", he said with a smile.

"Because... you promised me before, didn't you?"

It was then that Sylvia brought the hand of Marcus to her own neck, wrapping it around her with madness in her eyes.

And then, bringing her hand to his, the two were opposed to one another - staring at each other with pure insanity in their expressions.

With a smile, the woman thinned her eyes with pleasure as she spoke.

"If you're going to fall into the depths of madness... then we're going to do it together."

[Well said, woman.], Number Seven croaked.

[I will grant you both your wishes.]

[And for this... we will grant those young ones some rest even.], Number One added with a giggle.

And then, shooting forth from each hand straight through the necks of the two, was a spiked tentacle.

A hole was opened in each of the two zombies' throats, and both of the bodies fell to the ground with a thud as blood splattered all over the ground.

The three children sitting there widened their eyes in shock, unable to even comprehend what had just happened.

They sat there, wide eyed and astounded as their jaws found it difficult to stay up, and they each found themselves trembling at the madness which the two had fallen into.

[You have recognized that through death... you can search our memories.]

[However, do not think for a moment that doing so will be pleasant, humans.]

[Search all you want. But before you find the answer... you will surely lose every semblance of what is right and wrong.]

[For within our minds… is a cesspool of madness the likes of which no human could possibly hope to withstand.]

Thus, Marcus and Sylvia died.

For the eighth, and for the fourth time.