9S blinked faintly, looking up at the white ceiling. To his right, muffled struggling could be heard. It was over before he knew it though, and the jarring sound of a door slamming echoed in his ears.

"You bastards! I'll kill you!"

The feminine voice was quiet after that, though his new neighbor pounded against the door. The white-haired boy waited patiently for her to stop as the seconds ticked by. Those seconds ticked by to minutes, then hours. Finally when he was about to go to sleep, the banging stopped. He listened closely, taking note of her quiet sobs as she fell into despair.

The white wall separating them was impenetrable, made of the hardest titanium. It was at least almost a foot thick. If 9S really wanted to get a look at his new neighbor, he could lower himself down and peer through the hole above the waterway interlocking every cell block. However, that waterway was the only option tenants had for a bathroom, so 9S would rather stay away from it if he could. The last thing he wanted was to put his face near the scummy water.

He knew who she was. Or at least, he thought he had a pretty good idea. They had been talking about the new arrival for weeks. 2B was what they had called her. 9S didn't know what it meant, but he did understand that meant he was getting a new neighbor. Just thinking about her made him giddy with excitement. She was from the Outside. He didn't know much of anything regarding the outside world, but he did know that it was a lot bigger than his cell block. Perhaps…perhaps she would tell him what it was like.

9S leaned against the thick wall and sighed, feeling exhaustion drag at his bones. It was impossible to tell what time it was, but he'd no doubt been awake for the majority of the day. By now he usually would have been sound asleep. "Your name's 2B, right? I'm 9S."

He waited in silence for several minutes. Perhaps she was so weary from the fighting that she had collapsed from exhaustion and fainted. But then, "Who…are you?"

"What do you mean 'Who are you?'? I already told you I'm 9S."

"Yes, but why are you talking to me? Explain yourself."

The boy laughed. "You're from the Outside, right? Shouldn't you know more than me?"

Whoever this 2B girl was, she was getting angry. "Look, I don't have time for your nonsense. I need to get home and back to my life. Why am I here?"

9S shrugged, even though he knew there was no one to see it. Sometimes he liked to imagine the world was watching him, like the people in those movies he had been allowed to view. "Dunno. I don't even know why I'm here."

"What do they do to you?"

"Not much. Once in a while they'll take you out and perform some tests, but it's been pretty laid-back here most of the time. You really just spend all your time in your cell block."

Minutes passed as 2B remained silent. 9S waited patiently, not particularly caring whether she spoke or not. It was honestly strange having company. His whole life, he had only his own thoughts to entertain himself with. And occasionally, the staff would allow him to watch movies regarding the Outside. Honestly, he couldn't care less if a meteor fell and crushed the entire earth. The only one he had to care about was himself alone, and he was just as good as dead in this monotonous, 200-square foot world.

At last, 2B sighed. "How did you get here? And how long have you been here?"

"My whole life," 9S replied breezily. "For as long as I can remember, I've lived in this cell block. Don't know how long it's been or how old I am, but it's been a comfortable life. I'm not exactly unhappy."

"Oh." The faint sound of her clothes shifting against the floor attracted 9S' attention. Faintly, he wondered what she was wearing. His clothes had always been the same-typical uniform with its black shorts and black jacket. Whenever he left the cell block, they'd make him wear a blindfold.

"Hey, 2B?" 9S asked.

"My name's not 2B," the irritated voice replied.

"Then what is it?"

"That's…for another day."

"Then what do I call you?" 9S laughed.

"2B's fine for now, I guess."

"Well, 2B," 9S inquired, "could you tell me about the Outside tomorrow? We're both pretty tired, so I figured it wouldn't go very far before one of us fell asleep."

The answer was so bogged down with exhaustion and near-sleep that 9S had to strain to hear it. It sounded like a yes, though, and that was all he could ask for as his eyes began to shut as well. That was when it all began.

9S groaned as he laid back on the hard floor. The room was devoid of any furniture once more, as his only pillow had been confiscated earlier in the day. His body still ached from all the shots they had given him, and he wanted nothing more than to lay down on his soft pillow and fall asleep. Someone several blocks over, 4H or something, tried to bury his head too deep into one and the officers had to take it. The boy didn't understand the point of taking the pillow, but he nevertheless was quite irritated that he couldn't rest.

"2B," he whined, "what's the point of taking the pillows?"

"Because they don't want us doing the same thing as 4H," his neighbor replied. At least she was still in her cell, so he had someone to talk to.

"What's so bad about it? He just put his head in the pillow."

"He tried to suffocate himself, 9S."

9S pondered that statement, completely bemused. What sort of idiot would try to cut off his air supply? "Why would he do that?"

There was only a sigh in reply to his question. "He wanted out. He tried to take his own life. So they took the pillows to prevent anyone else from getting the same idea."

"Why would he take his own life?"

"I don't know, 9S. When people are forced into a life where there's no free will, they tend to get upset."

9S remained silent, mulling over her words. "Then…will you leave me by taking your own life?"

She scoffed. "Of course not. There's no point in throwing my life away. I have things I need to do and places to see. At least, someday I will."

In all honesty, 9S felt a little guilty. He wanted 2B to be happy of course. But secretly, he also felt a hidden relief over the fact that she was imprisoned here. If she wasn't, he wouldn't have anyone to talk to. Since the moment she arrived, 2B had interrupted his routine. But it was a welcome break. Years of doing the same thing each and every day sure got old after a while. It was almost like 9S didn't have a choice in what he did. He merely slept, ate, imagined, occasionally watched movies, and left his block to be tested on.

The boy snapped out of his thoughts as he picked up on faint humming. It came from across the wall, short and sweet. 9S squinted, focusing on the tune. It was so familiar…. Where had he heard it before? "Hey, isn't that from Zinnia?"

The humming stopped. "You…know of it?"

"Of course!" 9S exclaimed. "I used to watch that movie all the time a long time ago."

2B chuckled faintly. "It was a personal favorite when I was a child."

"I just loved how Adam used the walkie-talkie to communicate with Rennac. They were so cool saying 'over' and stuff after every statement."

"I used to go with my friend and we'd pretend to be Adam and Rennac. We used to talk with walkie-talkies all the time."

In a fit of playfulness, the boy paused. When he finally spoke, his voice was lowered, attempting to sound more mature. "This is 9S. Over."

….

"This is 2B. Over."

9S grinned to himself, happy that she had decided to join in on his game. "How do you do, 2B? Over."

"I'm fine. How are you? Over."

He chuckled, leaning back against the wall. It was uncomfortable, but he had long ago gotten used to the sharp angles of the surface. At least now he had a friend to pass the time with. Did she like other movies he did? A plethora of questions buzzed in his head, but he decided to narrow it down to one and focus on that. "What's the Outside like? Over."

2B paused for a moment. "The Outside's…complicated. What do you mean exactly? Over."

"Like, do cowboys ride around on horses and have gun fights? Do you have sheriffs? Over."

His neighbor chuckled. "No, we don't. The Outside is very different from the Western movies you watch. We basically live in houses and go to work. People wake up, go to work, go home, and go to sleep. Once in a while, they also get married and have children."

She had forgotten to say "over," but he didn't mind; the boy was too intruiged by her answer to bother. "What is getting married?"

"It's like, um, when two people love each other very much and they promise to live together for the rest of their lives. Then they usually have children."

Love. It was a new word to 9S, though it felt familiar. "Is love like what Jacob feels toward Felicia in Westward Rising?"

"Yeah, pretty much. Though it takes different shapes for different people. When you like and care about someone a lot, you tend to love them."

"Oh." 9S paused, mulling over her words. "So then, if that's what love is, do I love you?"

"I-I don't know! Love's more complicated than that, but whatever floats your boat."

Ignoring the foreign addage, he continued pushing. "So wait, do you love me?"

"D-Don't be ridiculous! I don't love you or anything, okay? I don't even know what you look like. You're just my neighbor."

"But you care about me, right? I care about you. If you suddenly left, I'd feel really sad. Wouldn't you feel the same if I disappeared?"

"I…," she paused. "Yes, I guess I would. But that doesn't mean I like you or anything! Don't be an idiot."

"Why are you being so hurtful?" 9S asked, hugging his knees. The moment he brought up love, she got all defensive and angry. What was that all about?

"Oh, I forgot. You're not familiar with the implied meanings of words. I do like you, 9S. But I don't love you. I barely know you after all. Love is something serious, and you don't just randomly decide you love someone right off the bat. You have to get to know them first."

Swallowing her words, 9S fell silent. "Okay then. I think I get it."

"Good. Now go to sleep or something. We've both been awake for a long time, and I'm feeling tired."

The boy laid on the ground, feeling his bones ache. The floor was cold, causing goosebumps to erupt over his skin. "Good night. Over."

There was no reply, but he could've sworn he'd heard her mutter, "Over," before falling asleep.

9S tapped his fingers against the floor, struggling to hold his tongue. 2B had been short-tempered lately after she had been bound in a straitjacket and punished. In the midst of her tests, she had struggled free from the guards and had tried to make a break for it. Of course, she didn't stand a chance; it only took 15 minutes or so to catch her. Now that she was back in her block, 9S wanted to talk to her, but she hadn't been willing to chat since.

Deciding to take the risk, the silver-haired boy opened his mouth. "...Did it hurt?"

"Hm?"

"The straitjacket. The punishment. What did they do to you anyway?"

A bitter laugh resounded from the woman. "You don't want to know. It's a good thing you can't see me right now. I look black and blue from all that they did to me. It wouldn't be much to assume you've never tried running, no?"

"I've never ran," 9S agreed. "Where would I even go once I was Outside anyway? I know that food, water, and shelter all cost money. I don't have any of that." He paused, wondering about her situation. "What kind of life did you leave behind anyway?"

"Pardon?"

"Like, what did you leave behind when you came here? Do you have anything to return to?"

"I didn't choose to go," she snorted, "I was kidnapped and forced here." Sighing, she pushed the bitterness away temporarily. "I didn't exactly leave a great legacy behind or anything of that sort. I live alone in an apartment. No family, no boyfriend, nothing. I'll bet you no one even noticed I'm gone."

"That sounds pretty terrible. If your life is like that, why do you want to go back to the Outside so bad?"

"9S, you won't understand this, but I want to go back because I want to live a full life. I have no freedom here. I'm not happy. Granted, I wasn't happy in my old life either, but I need freedom. Every human needs it to some degree."

Of course he didn't understand that. He had all the freedom he wanted here. True, the shots weren't fun, and neither was getting shocked by whatever new electrical invention they were trying next. But he was happy, and why try to look for something else when he was content? What if he didn't like it as much as life here? "Hey, 2B, you plan on running away from here, right?"

"Right."

"Well, when that happens, I want to be good friends with you by then. At least then I can be completely content with what I've experienced in this life."

"You can't force friendship. But I'll be open to improving our relationship if it means that much to you."

He smiled. "Well then, can you start by calling me Nines?"

"Why Nines?"

"People call each other by nicknames to convey affection, right? It was the only one I could think of. But yeah, call me Nines."

"All right…Nines."

For some reason, whenever she spoke his name like that, a spark of warmth shot through his chest. The boy smiled, his heart fluttering. Before he could say more, the sound of a door opening interrupted him.

"What do you want?" 2B growled. But no, it wasn't directed at him. It was meant for someone else.

"Subdue her."

"Hey! What are you-"

"2B? 2B!" 9S called. "2B, are you all right?"

Muffled cries were the only thing in reply, and he realized they had gagged her. He listened, his heart pounding in his chest as the door to her cell block slammed shut. Was she going to be all right? Were they getting rid of her? Hopefully once they kicked her out, she'd live a happy life in the Outside. But even though he hoped she was happy, 9S still felt a tad upset. Once 2B left, who was going to be there to call him Nines? Who was going to be there to talk like Adam and Rennac in Zinnia with him?

Time passed agonizingly slowly. He tried practicing his exercises to pass the time, but none of them seemed to work. Nervous sweat coated his body. After failing to calm himself down, he could only lean against the wall and desperately hope for her return. At last, not knowing how many hours had passed, the door opened once more.

2B's shrill yelp of pain sounded out as the thump of her body hitting the floor reached 9S' ears. "Are you all right?" 9S asked.

"Shit. Somehow."

"What did they do to you?"

"You…don't want to know." She broke off abruptly, though he couldn't be sure why. "Damn, this hurts like hell."

"I'm sorry, 2B. I should've done something, I don't know. I hope you're okay. It'sallmyfaultfornotdoinganythingI'msorryfordraggingyouintothisyoudon'tdeserveanyofthis-"

"Nines," 2B interrupted, "right now, I just want to forget about this pain. And your incessant jabbering isn't really helping. Just…talk to me right now. Make me forget about it."

Forcing his pulse rate to slow down, the boy thought. "Um…what do you want to talk about?"

"Anything. Just get me interested in something."

Sighing, he thought more of what to say. "I've already talked about myself a lot. Tell me more about yourself." His mind drifted to the first day when she had arrived. "Like, what's your real name? I remember you said it wasn't 2B."

"It's Katarina," she replied at last. "Or at least it was."

"Was?" he echoed.

"I guess you could say I'm not really Katarina anymore. Katarina lived in a tiny apartment in the Outside. Katarina had brown hair. Katarina liked to wear sweatpants and t-shirts. The way I am now, I'm nothing like I used to be." She laughed bitterly.

"Used to have brown hair?"

"It's silver now. I don't know what they're doing to us here, but my hair lost all its color. Not to mention they make me wear this dumb ruffled skirt outfit. It's so uncomfortable and the leotard's too tight."

"My hair's silver too. Though I always thought I was born that way. I guess I was just too young to remember when it lost its color."

2B (Katarina?) inhaled sharply as she shifted positions before relaxing. "That's a bit better. The sedatives are beginning to kick in."

She must've been given delayed sedatives so that she'd feel the pain of what they'd done to her for a time. "So if you're not Katarina anymore, what should I call you?"

"Well, I guess I'm 2B. No point in being called anything else."

9S couldn't help but smile. Perhaps she had been Katarina at one point. But now, she was 2B. She was his 2B. At that thought, the fire in his chest burned a little bit brighter. But he ignored it. It wasn't hot enough to be dealt with. Not yet anyway.

"Hey, 2B, you'll be in the Outside one day, right?"

"I've told you many times, yes."

"Well, when that happens, let's go shopping together. I'll get you a t-shirt or something, I don't know. Something that looks nice."

For several moments, he didn't hear a reply. "9S…."

"Call me Nines, remember?" he playfully jabbed.

"Nines, I thought you didn't want to leave here."

"Well, I've been thinking about it a lot." He smiled to himself. "If it's with you, I think the Outside could be nice."

A sudden slam of the door sent his gaze spinning to the entrance of his cell block. Several scientist approached, burly men amongst them. They jumped forward, pinning 9S to the ground as he struggled. The boy let out a yelp of pain as a particularly pretty scientist lady injected a strange serum into him.

As soon as they appeared, they were gone. He tried to get to his feet, but why couldn't he move? His body felt heavy and cold, ice slowly flowing through his veins.

In his struggle with the guards, he had forgotten about 2B. But now in the silence, he could no longer hear her fighting. Instead, an agonized scream came from the other side of the titanium wall. The timbre of it sent a shiver down 9S' spine. "2B? 2B, what's wrong?!" he shouted from his stationary position on the floor.

"It hurts," a voice replied, breathless from pain. "Nines, it…it hurts…!" 2B screamed again, the sound cutting deep into the boy.

For the first time in his life, 9S felt angry. No matter how much he wanted to take her pain away, he was powerless; all he could do was lay there and listen to her scream. His imagination, terrifyingly vivid, took shape to show his eyes what only his ears understood. 2B writhed on the cold, sterile floor. Tears poured down her face unbidden as she continued to scream in agony at the top of her lungs.

9S shut his eyes, willing the image to go away. It remained, growing more painful by the second. No, please…. I can't see this anymore. I'm begging you, please stop it. The details increased. He could see her face turning blue as her eyes rolled back into her head. Spit and coughed-up blood stained her chin, dipping down onto her bust. No, please! Please stop it…! I'm begging you…. "Just fucking stop it!" he screamed at the top of his lungs, wailing it out for the world to hear.

2B's screams faded away, the girl losing strength. "Okay," she murmured, so quietly it was barely audible. The faint thump of her body slumping to the floor sent his heart sinking.

9S laid there, not sure how much time had passed. The serum seeped through his muscles, slowly paralyzing his body. It was only a matter of time until it reached his heart. And once that happened…he didn't want to think about it. He was afraid to speak, but eventually found the courage to open his mouth. "I miss you. Over."

He wasn't sure how long he waited. It seemed like days. He waited and he waited, body growing slowly heavier, hoping in vain that she would answer. But a reply never came.

Feeling a dark dizziness seize him at last, 9S smiled. Out of the corner of his eye, he could glimpse a hand on the other side of the hole connecting their blocks. It was dainty, the skin pale and soft. Oh…so that's what you look like, he thought as his vision went black.

Hey, guys, it's me. Got this idea watching a movie and thought it would be an interesting concept. I've been a bit busy lately, however, working to get my novel published. I was worried no agent would work with a sophomore in high school, but it seems that worry was unfounded.

I don't really have much else to say. I rather enjoyed this piece, but didn't want to make it a chapter fic. 2B tsun confirmed. I rather thought of her as more of a tsundere type if her life had been more normal. Also, I named her Katarina as a reference to a character in Fire Emblem Heroes that Kira Buckland voiced. As a result of it being crammed into a one-shot, it might ramble a bit. Think of it as a series of vignettes. Anyway, hope y'all enjoyed~

Oh, P.S.: Any references to movies or real people are entirely coincidental. I pulled all these movie titles and characters out of my ass.