A2 took the photo of her squad off the wall, clutching it tightly in her arms. As the two androids began to head back towards the Access Point to do some repairs, a black figure stood in front of them. "So, you killed them? 7E and the Captain?"
"Yep." 2B sighed, knowing that she was a hypocrite in her own mind. She promised never to kill 9S again, but was she breaking her promise if she had killed her own units?
"I'm sorry. I didn't want you to go back to that life either."
"Thanks."
"That's not very like you, 2E."
"Can you stop calling me that? I don't like it."
"Okay. Is 2B better?"
"Yes."
"Well, you can call me 5B then. If we're the only ones left, who cares if we still use those designations?"
"Not me."
"We've both lost too many friends. I don't want to fight you. I'm refusing to follow the Captain's orders."
"What were they?"
"Erase your memories, or kill you if you attempted anything. I don't want you to forget your friends. Some cultures believed that your memory completely disappeared when there was no one left on Earth that remembered you. Our comrades don't deserve that."
"Whatever you believe. We're heading back to meet up with 9S. Maybe…"
"What is it, 2B?"
"Maybe we can lay out something for our comrades too."
"I think that's an excellent idea," A2 added. "I think these guys deserve a place down there too." She stretched out her arm, checking to make sure that the pods hadn't missed any spots from the cuts she'd received.
"Alright. Let's go."
2B entered the code for the Resistance Camp's Access Point into the one outside of their headquarters.
"It feels a bit strange leaving this behind. I haven't left since my mission with my squadron was suspended."
"I bet you miss them too."
"Yes. Especially 17S."
"Well, maybe you'll see him again someday. Our scanners can only detect so far."
"Yeah." 5B smirked at the sky as she remembered her times with him.
The Access Point opened, and soon 2B was back at the Resistance Camp. It was starting to be cleared out now. 2B figured 4S had finished a lot of work when she was gone.
5B soon followed. She looked around at the unfamiliar landscape, trying to take all of it in.
"Come on, let's find Nines. Oh, A2?"
"I was going to go to the Amusement Park to finish off the stragglers."
"I have a few things I wanted to ask you about. Would you be willing to hold off your mission for a few hours?"
"Why not?"
A2 and 2B went ahead. 5B continued to look around as she halfheartedly followed. The sight overwhelmed her a little as she remembered the day she came here with her former partner.
"Wow, the fall leaves make this look… amazing…"
The city was draped in scarlet and gold. Gentle breezes filled with the salty wind from the ocean carried the crisp leaves onto the crumbling concrete below.
"Yeah. We actually had some snowfall a few weeks ago. Only a small amount, but it stuck together. Nines and I had a little bit of a snowball fight before it all melted away."
"That's nice. You two… seem to like each other a lot."
"Yeah."
2B headed straight for the nearly finished construction project. 4S was watching from above and waved to the two androids below.
"Hey, that's a new face!" He called down.
"This is 5B! Where's Nines?"
A familiar glint of white hair peaked out from the top of the wooden structure. 9S waved to the android below before grabbing a rope on the side of the building and sliding down to meet her. They met in a tight hug. They held each other tightly, just barely loose enough for them to breathe.
"I'm glad you're safe," 9S said. He looked up at 2B's face.
"Me too."
"We're gonna be okay. We still have each other, don't we?"
"About that…"
9S let go.
"Captain Red… still wanted me to terminate you. Of course I'm not going to. But she's gone missing. My pod said that her black box signal was still online, but he can't track her position anymore."
"Well, we have some time, don't we? Let's go back to the Lunar Tear garden. I think I could use some time to relax too."
4S soon came down with his pod flying behind him. "You guys going somewhere?"
"Yeah. We have this place of honor for our friends set up in the basement of an old Commercial Facility," 2B explained. "We're putting the swords of my former comrades down there."
"And I'm adding the picture of my squad from the Pearl Harbor Mission!"
"Can I come?" 4S asked.
"Of course."
The four of them began heading out into the City Ruins and across the fallen leaves. If the City Ruins looked this amazing, 4S wondered how his old home in the Forest Kingdom looked. The castle probably looked as dull as ever, but the rivers probably had thousands of leaves covering them.
2B pressed Emil's key to the pad next to the elevator. It opened, and the five androids piled inside. She tightly held 9S's hand to keep herself from crying. 5B and A2 both reached for 2B's shoulder, smiling at each other when they realized what they had done.
2B walked up to the post that 9S had left as an honor for her death months ago. Small sprouts of new flowers began to work their way up the wooden post. She set the two bows at its base as 5B began to open her database to all of the specialized katanas the members of her squad carried.
A violet one for Number Three.
An emerald one for Number Four.
A cobalt one for Number Six.
A silver one for Number Seven.
A tangerine one for Number Eight.
She didn't have Number Nine's golden blade, but she was determined to find it. 5B knew that Number Nine had given it up when she went to the Resistance to work as their E-type. Maybe it was out there somewhere.
"To everyone who we've fought alongside, thank you. And good night."
2B stood beside her, putting a hand on her soldier. "They're finally free of the pain that we've been through."
"Yeah."
5B and 4S turned back to return up to the surface. "We're heading out. I still have work to do!" 4S waved as him and 5B boarded the elevator. The two disappeared behind the closing doors.
"Alright, what's up?" A2 sat next to 2B on the bed in the hut.
"I saw Pascal's Village. What happened?"
"Oh… I barely know the cause of it, but some of the machines started to go crazy and attacked each other. Pascal escaped with the children, and contacted me for help. I dispatched all of the machines I could. Then, I went to help Pascal and the children at the Abandoned Factory, and we were attacked. Pascal and I were able to win, but we were the only survivors. Pascal asked me to delete his memories, and I did. But he must've been taken out by other machines, because when I stopped in there on my way to the Forest Kingdom, he was gone."
"I saw him before I went to the Tower. It was like he was only a shell."
"Maybe he left? There's still a bit of hope for him."
"Good thing one of us is hopeful."
"Not really. Captain Red's still out there too. Also, there was a letter left to me in the village."
"Can I read it?" 9S asked.
"Sure."
2B handed the letter, as 9S repeated it out loud for A2 to hear.
"Maybe that's why Pascal took the children to the Factory. He's almost as curious as 9S here." A2 ruffled his hair, but he gave her a dirty look. "Sorry."
A2 backed off, heading towards some nearby rocks.
"Unfortunately, there's nothing we can do about this now. Pascal won't even remember writing it if he's still alive."
"Right. Nines, can I tell you something?"
"Of course. You've listened to me ramble too much."
"I'm scared. I don't think I've been this scared since Adam kidnapped you. What if… what-"
"Stop thinking about the "what ifs", 2B." A2 joined the other YoRHa on the bench. "Think about right now. Yeah, we've lost a lot of people lately. But that doesn't mean we can't let that fear make us do crazy things. Fear destroyed Pascal's village. Do you want to end up like all of those machines?"
"Of course not."
"The only way I'm letting you die is if we die together." 9S hugged 2B tightly once more. "I've abandoned you enough times to let that happen again."
"Do you think that this is my punishment for everything?"
"Caring about me isn't a sin, 2B. Otherwise I'd be in more trouble than you."
"That's not what I'm talking about."
It took 9S a moment to understand. "We're soldiers. We should take pride in our service. We kinda succeeded, didn't we?" 9S pulled out a package from his bag. "I know I said I wanted to go shopping with you, but I made this for you."
2B opened up the package to see a t-shirt inside. "I love it. Thank you."
"I'm glad you like it. It's getting a bit more chilly, so I don't think you can wear it yet. Maybe we should find some winter clothes."
"Alright."
"Yes, this cloak is failing, especially after that night in the Barren Temple!"
5B and 4S exited the elevator again, panting and bruised.
"We've spotted Captain Red. She's in the desert."
"Stay here, you guys. I'll look out for her."
"A2, you can't! Not alone!" 2B grabbed her wrist before she could leave.
"I like how you care about me, but this is a job for me and me alone. Besides, I've been on my own for long enough."
