"Nines!"
Captain Red was laughing so hard that she couldn't even speak. 2B paid no mind to her and leapt into the smoke from another Pod Program attack. But that wasn't where this smoke originated from. Soon, a familiar face rose from the smoke, wedging themselves perfectly between Captain Red and 9S.
"Emil?" 2B realized.
"Get 9S out of here, 2B!" Emil cried, drawing an old weapon. "I'll take care of this one."
A2 swung in. "I'll back you up, Round Guy!"
2B nodded before running towards 9S. Before Emil had appeared, the spear had grazed his skin.
"Pod, get me staunching gel. We need to repair 9S before I lose him."
"Affirmative."
She picked up his limp body and held it close as she began repairing the damaged tissue with the gel. It mixed with the drops of blood that were beginning to leak out and covered the wound. As she finished, she held him in her arms, waiting for him to wake up.
"Please be okay. I can't do this without you. I'm not ready to go on alone. Not when we were this close."
9S's eyes fluttered open, seeing the woman he loved staring down at him. "2B? Did we win?"
"Not yet. I'm getting you home first."
"No, we have to go back. Red…"
"We'll be fine. We got some reinforcements."
"Reinforcements?"
"Emil. Any idea why?"
Pod 153 piped up, "This pod requested assistance after 9S began hacking into the enemy unit. Out of fear for the safety of this pod's supported unit, I contacted the lifeform known as Emil and provided him with location data."
"Thanks, pod." 9S reached out at lightly patted the black and red box.
"Report: Satisfied."
2B sat down next to the nearby Access Point to take a quick rest. She was strong, but 9S was heavy and she was tired from battle.
"2B, I can get myself back to safety."
"No, I'm not leaving you."
"Don't do this to yourself. For my sake, at least?"
"I'll be fine. I've fought hard my entire life in hopes that I could spend these precious moments with you."
"I get it, you're worried about me. But I've been fine on my own before. Sure, sometimes I become so focused on my task that I forget to perform maintenance. But I can get back to the Resistance Camp just fine."
2B gave him a short hug before heading back into battle. "I want you to stay here. Is that alright?"
"Yeah. Before you go, I found something in Red's memories."
"What was it?"
"Captain Red synthesized her own e-drugs. She made them more powerful than Jackass'. I don't think there's a way to save her."
"Oh."
"I'm sorry."
2B sighed. "Stay safe."
"You know it."
2B headed back towards the bridge. Before she crossed, she waved back to 9S. "I love you, Nines."
"I love you too." 9S smiled and leaned up against the Access Point as he watched her disappear back into the Commercial Facility.
2B drew her sword, preparing to face her Captain once more.
Emil quickly glanced at the android in black. "2B? That was fast!" Almost as fast as teleportation magic!"
"Forget about that. Situation report."
"What does that mean?
"What's going on?"
"I think she's almost at the end of her abilities." A purple blast of magic hit the red-haired android square in the chest, before A2 swung at her again.
"She's been hit with a variation of a powerful virus that an android known as Jackass accidentally created. We're not going to be able to destroy her so easily."
2B drew her sword, and swung at the android, who gripped the blade tightly, pulling it from her hands. Blood dripped from the torn gloves, covering the surrounding plant life.
"Sh*t!"
"You're the idiot who grabbed the blade of a sword!" 2B chided as she went after her sword to continue the fight.
And it continued for sometime. Captain Red used the last of her energy to fend off a final attack from Emil, before collapsing to the ground. At this point, the only thing keeping her going was her slowly weakening Black Box.
"2B! I think we got her!"
A2 stood up and walked over to her captain. She placed a hand on her face before shoving her sword through her enemy's chest. Her eyes faded from red to blue as the virus escaped her body through the leaking red fluid.
"I just wanted 9S to feel the pain I did…"
"I'm here now, and you've ruined that by messing with things you didn't know the power of. I'll see you again, someday."
2B set the dying android on the ground. "Goodbye, Captain."
"Goodbye, 2E. Goodbye, A2..."
Blood continued draining out of the android as her consciousness completely faded away. A smile rested on the android's face.
"Well, I'd better go. See you around!" Emil called out before disappearing in another puff of purple smoke.
"I'm going too, but I'm going to keep the dumb box you gave me."
"Yeah, I don't want you to get separated again. Keep in touch."
"I will. And I'll be back in time for the wedding."
"I'm glad to hear that."
"I'm going to officiate it. It might turn out horribly, but I'll do my best."
"I couldn't ask for anything else."
A2 and 2B hugged as one of the pods flew over to reunite with A2.
"Where will you go?"
"First, the Amusement Park. I want to do a survey there. But afterwards, I'm heading to the desert. I've heard rumors of a group of machines that managed to build a coliseum. I need to get stronger. Captain Red nearly killed us. What if we're attacked by an enemy stronger than her?"
"I'm not sure you need to get stronger."
"Well, at least stronger than you. You're the strongest person I know."
"Thanks. Don't get caught in the sand storms!"
A2 ran back into the City Ruins, her sights now properly set.
"Pod, search for active elevators in the desert."
"Scanning…"
A2 was ready to smash some machines, more revenge for the friends fate had taken from her.
9S stumbled back to the Commercial Facility to see 2B pick up the dead body of her former captain.
"So, guess we won."
"Yep."
"I'm sorry, 2B."
"It's not the worst I've had to do. I'm glad I'm not holding your body. Come on, let's give her a proper burial."
9S picked up the crimson blade Captain Red was using as her secondary weapon and examined it. It looked oddly familiar. Then he recognized the similar blade hanging from 2B's scabbard. In truth, all of the blades that the Executioners held looked similar. A colored katana with a specific design and an honorable name.
A bit of confusion filled his mind as he remembered that his sword, the Cruel Oath, looked like it belonged to the set as well.
"2B, why does my sword look like all of the Executioner's swords?"
"What do you mean?"
After shoving the crimson blade along the same line 5B had laid the rest, 9S drew his golden blade. "The Cruel Oath… I don't get why I have it if it matches this set."
"Oh, about that. 9E joined the Resistance as their designated contact. Disguised as 9H, she left her weapons behind to better blend in with the Resistance. She left them in my care, and when I met you… I'm not even sure what I did. I guess I thought "They have the same number, so why not give it to him"? I'm glad I gave it to you. You've used it well."
"I guess so. But I wasn't built for combat."
"Keep it. We all have our own battles to fight."
9S put his sword back before joining 2B in the elevator. "I'm glad you're okay."
"Me too. Now, what was your surprise?"
9S led 2B back up to the Commercial Facility. Next to the elevator, some rubble had been cleared away. She was too busy fighting to notice it earlier. 2B saw a door, which 9S ran forward to open.
"Since 4S has started housing the Resistance in his complex, I thought I'd make us a proper home."
9S and 2B headed inside. There was a bed, bigger than the one in the Resistance Camp, and a kitchen with a nice table.
"I thought that, since we're going to be getting married soon, we deserve a place of our own, near our favorite place."
"It's amazing. You did this, all while I was gone?"
"Yeah. I'd been planning for a while, but when 4S and I teamed up, it was a breeze."
2B started crying. The tears of joy started to turn into tears of guilt. "Nines, I…"
"Go ahead, I'm not mad."
"You've done so much for me. I feel bad. I was never the friend you deserved until a few weeks ago. I never called you Nines until the pods and I saved you. I never paid much attention to your rambling about the things of this world. I never repaid your kindness."
"You've helped me regain memories that I never knew I'd lost. And we'll make new ones together."
"Together… Until we stop working for good."
9S sat down on the bed, looking up at the sky. "Until our time runs out."
