It always ends like this.
She stalks in beauty like the night. He watches her stride along almost as though she's nonchalant. Almost as though she's just going for a stroll. Almost as though she's not looking for him.
But she is looking for him. He knows she is.
And he has a choice.
He steps out.
"Nines?" she says, curious. She knows he was hiding. Doesn't know why he's stopped.
"Hey 2B," he replies, pretending everything is fine.
Everything is not fine.
She's here to kill him.
He wonders how she'll do it. She must have, before, but he can't remember. He decides he won't fight back. What would be the purpose? Would he kill her just to live?
No.
"Let's walk," she says. "The flowers are beautiful aren't they?"
She never cared much about flowers. This is all for his benefit. He knows he shouldn't but...
"Sure," he says, and follows along beside her.
The flowers are blooming - a riot of colors and 9S does think it's beautiful. He has the urge to pick one for her, a large white gardenia for her to wear in her hair. It smells sweet when he goes to look at it.
"Nines," she says. "Every day I spend with you is the best day."
Then there it is. Sword to the back of the neck. Quick. Painless. He doesn't know what hit him.
Except he does.
He does and he forgives her.
O
She's shaking. Heaving with tears again. When will this assignment be over? There are dozens of E models, she thinks. Why can't one of them be the one to...
But no. It can't be anyone else. Because how would she meet him then? How would she see him again?
She thinks maybe next time she won't be friendly. Maybe next time she'll shut him out. Maybe next time it'll hurt less. Maybe next time it won't feel as though her heart stabbed its way out of her body with her sword and is lying dead in front of her.
He'll be back, the Commander says.
Well, she thinks. He will and he won't.
There will be a 9S, but not her 9S. Although in a way, they're all her 9S. But all different in subtle ways.
Once she tried curbing his curiosity. Stopping him from asking the wrong questions of the wrong people, but that hadn't helped. It'd made him more curious.
So what was there to do then?
Love him.
Kill him.
On and on.
It always ends like this.
When will it stop?
Can they ever be free?
She hopes.
Against hope, she hopes.
