Hey, Guys I know it's been awhile since I last got back to this fic, but no worries I had no intention of leaving you hanging and I'm certainly not abandoning this fic. It's just that life can get in the way sometimes since I'm in school and things can get really busy for me to the point where that writing fics often becomes one of the last things on my to-do list. I only thought how the events in this chapter would play out in the past few days. Nonetheless hope you like it.
A2 found herself in a field of pure whiteness, not unlike the tower. She soon saw some medium flyers and bipeds advance toward her, preparing to attack
More machines. Just my day
When A2 got to the end of the hall there was a group of three small stubbies, they didn't do anything but just stood there. Impulsively, A2 did what she had always done; wipe out every machine she sees, so she rushed toward them full of Vengeance and hate. Just as A2 was about to run them through or slice them apart, something caught her eye. She saw that the stubbies were prostrating towards her. They dared not fight back.
"Please Don't kill us!" The first one pleaded
"What did we do to deserve this?" The last one asked out of fear
"We Surrender, You can do whatever you want with me, but please let my friends go" The stubby in the center begged in a monotonic voice
Immediately A2 knew couldn't bring herself do it for some reason. Without realizing, she just dropped her sword on the ground. What was this feeling she was experiencing? Her usual hatred towards machines just..vanished
"Going soft now?" A voice spoke from behind. When she turned around she saw the voice came from none other than ... herself? Was she hallucinating seeing a reflection herself?
"W-who are you?" The Attacker android asked
"Why I'm you of course" the reflection spoke before facing the prostrating small machines. "What are you waiting for? Go on and Finish them!"
A2 just shook her head, hesitating slightly "I-I can't do that"
"And why not?" The reflection of A2 asked impatiently.
"Because... I saw how defenseless they were. Looking back, I've cut down thousands of machines in my quest for Vengeance. But no matter how many I killed I could never feel satisfied. So what did killing all those machines do for me in the long run? Nothing. It also made me realize something, not all machine lifeforms are the same nature. Some feel pain, emotions, fear even hate, just like how androids are programmed to, so what's the point in killing those who can't and won't fight back?" A2 asked her reflection rhetorically
"What's the point?!" The apparition of A2 seethed before going off in a furious tirade "Have you forgotten what the machines did?! THEY KILLED SO MANY OF US ANDROIDS! ALL THE COMRADES WE'VE LOST WAS BECAUSE OF THEM! And now you're just going to let those scum of the earth live like they never wronged you?! They deserve NO MERCY!"
"No! I haven't forgotten and I'll never forget! " A2 shouted to the apparition of herself "Even still, I used to be just like you. I thought killing every machine in existence would somehow make things better! But even if I killed every goddamn machine on this planet, it won't bring Rose and the others we've lost back! So I'm done killing every machine I see on sight! I will no longer be a vengeful monster who is trapped in perpetual suffering!"
"So be it" the phantasm A2 declared in response "If you're not going to do it then I certainly will!" She then manifested a type 4O sword.
Before A2 could even think about stopping her reflection, she immediately found herself with a blade impaled through her.
"Pathetic. I definitely won't be needing you anymore" The Phantasm A2 spat before removing the weapon "To think I would allow myself to show compassion toward machines, such weakness. But no longer, with that gone, I will wipe out every last Machine there is! All of them deserve to die!"
No, What have I become? Why did I have to feel hate? The attacker android murmured her thoughts out loud as she bled out and lost consciousness, undone by a manifestation of her past callousness
A2 opened her eyes then realized she was in the resistance camp. She couldn't describe what it is she just experienced but knew that it wasn't pleasant.
"Hey, No.2 You've been tuning out for the last hour or so?" Anemone said
"Yes, I just had some unpleasant...Hallucinations" She couldn't come up with better words to describe what humans called a nightmare
"I'd like your input how we should approach with making peace with the remaining machines"
A2 thought for a moment before answering "Pascal's village is a good starting point. You have done some trading with them, so the relationship we have with them is stable I guess having them negotiate with the machines in the surrounding areas would work. I really don't know, I'm not good with all this diplomacy stuff. Maybe you can ask 2B and 9S the next time they're here " A2 answered slouching on the bench
"Hm. Very Well" Anemone said
"If that's all, I'm heading out." The attacker android declared. Before Anemone could ask where she was going A2 was already gone.
As A2 walked through the City Ruins, the attacker android clutched her head trying to keep her sanity stable.
Get ahold of yourself, You've been through a lot, but everything's over now. Don't kill any machines unless they attack first
If there was one place she needed to go, it was to the residence of the one Machine Lifeform she could call a friend.
Meanwhile, 2B and 9S were busy scouting out buildings in the City ruins looking for a nice place they could call home. They eventually settled in on the top floor of an abandoned apartment overlooking the Amusement Park. The apartment Unit had three rooms, a main living area with two empty rooms on the side, it was mostly dark with no lighting.
"Ok this looks like a good place to settle down, the view looks nice" 9s commented
"Not to mention the altitude could allow us to monitor any potential dangers," 2B said in a practical tone.
"Yeah Like that would ever occur. Anyway, This place looks empty, Pod any suggestions on what to do from here" The scanner Inquired
"According to old world Data, Humans have Furnished their living spaces with items such as Beds, chairs, and tables. Proposal: Gather Materials for these items" 153 Suggested.
With that, the Former Battle and Scanner Androids got to work, WHile 2B went to find some suitable Materials to build furniture, 9S Stayed behind decided to install a lighting system in the apartment
Soon the abandoned apartment was refurbished to a more suitable ambiance with white panels on the walls and floors. Mattresses were placed in the two smaller rooms, while a couch lined the main room with some rugs 9S had found once he finished with the lighting
"9S Where did get all these Panels to come from" 2B inquired dumbfounded, SHe didn't recognize the sudden change in decor when she came back with some chairs
"Oh, they were just lying around in the chasm. I thought They just make our new home look nicer to compliment the lights I've just installed" The scanner replied, omitting the fact that they were from the remains of the Machine Built tower. 2B just accepted without saying any else, before another object caught her eye. It was large and had a flat-screen, not unlike the monitors used in the Bunker.
"What's this some sort of Monitor?" 2B wondered, not knowing what it was
"Oh this is what humans called a Television or TV for short, They supposedly used these for entertainment. I'm planning on taking this apart along with some other junk I've and studying it" The Scanner model said. The Former Battle Model couldn't stop her partner, SHe couldn't even imagine how humans would use that
"You seem to be very into studying Human Artifacts Nines " The battle Android commented
"What Can I say 2B? I've always been fascinated with what humans have done" The Scanner said enthusiastically. It was true, both of them were free to whatever they wanted now without any orders or duty in their way.
With that in mind, 2B smiled before taking off her visor and sitting on the couch getting some shut-eye. Their new home now complete, she was free to finally get some well-deserved relaxation. At last, Emotions were no longer prohibited for the two of them.
A2 might seem a little bit OOC in this fic. The dream sequence at the beginning of the chapter is supposed to be her coming to terms with her past and moving on. I got this idea from ending D where 9S lets go of his hatred for machines, realizing it was irrational. If he can think that way, why not A2 as well? Still, I don't feel confident about it, Let me know what you think of it.
