A2 instantly felt herself being lifted from behind. Huge metallic hands were shut tight around her elbows. The standard-issue YoRHa blade A2 had held since that fateful mission so long ago materialized in her grasp, but try as she might, she couldn't move her arms to strike. Meanwhile, as that splitting pain started to settle in her core, the horde of machines towards her front were advancing, falling over each other in an unorganized horrific stride as if laying waste to the grappled android before them was of the utmost, utmost priority in the entirety of their synthetic lives up to that point.

Let go.

She kicked a small Stubby away, its arms spinning in that typical stupid attack motion as it went soaring out of sight. The projectiles from the Flyers floated ever closer as the dense trees around shook with the approach of even more hostiles. Survival would mean escaping the grapple within the next seconds.

You want this.

A2 bent her legs in an attack motion towards the Goliath that held her, but the pain had grown unbearable. She couldn't make as much as a dent.

You know you want this. We know you want this.

Her world slowed to a freeze. That flood of anomalous dark-violet eyes brightened until the color was all A2 could see.

Even right now, you're cursing those damned pods that rebuilt you! That hatred robs you of breath.

That voice…

Trust us, A2. We know. The data doesn't lie. It's a concept that's become clear to us in the years since this world so carelessly cast us out.

Those voices…

We know how much it hurts, A2. All that hate…

Number 4 materialized into her vision as she spoke the words, with 16 and 21 at her respective sides.

The war's over! We lost! You know just as damned well as we do! Stop denying it!

That was 16 again, arms folded, her obscured figure swaying in the flames.

They outnumber you forty-to-one. It's over. Stop resisting, A2.

A2 would have glared at 21 for questioning her abilities in such a way, but seeing her now, all she could do was look. She felt her face twitching with that struggle to hold everything in. As their leader, she couldn't let them see her break. She wouldn't.

Come now. Number 4 walked forward and rested her hands on the back of A2's neck. There's no need to live with the hurt anymore. We miss you. Come with us.

She leaned in close, resting a gentle forehead on A2's. Her silver hair was down to her shoulders, just as it'd always been. She was always saying how she wished she had A2's long hair, said it would've added to her silhouette or something. A2 would always laugh on the inside at how ridiculous she sounded. There was Number 4, always the shining pillar that kept us standing. Part of A2 had always wished she could be more like her.

Stop resisting. Number 4's voice lowered to a whisper. Your fusion reactor is still primed. Just let go. We'll take care of everything.

A2 blinked, and her eyes slowly began to close.

That's it. Just let go. We'll take care of-

Number 4's touch became freezing cold. Two other figures appeared at her former squad's side. 9S was turned away, but 2B looked straight at A2, sword in hand.

"Take care…"

A2 shook her head, eyes wide open once again.

"Take care of everyone for me, will you?"

They faded away, the two newcomers remaining for a moment before A2's vision refocused on the swarm of violet eyes.

She shrieked out louder than ever, a veil of red spanning over her sight. B-mode kicked in, giving A2 the strength she needed to send both heels plunging through the Goliath's core. Its grasp loosened. A2 hit the ground with a roll, materializing both her standard-issue blade and a heavier weapon she'd borrowed from 2B's arsenal, Virtuous Treaty. Both swords shined radiant from the surrounding flames as the lone android went into a spin, cleaving apart the five nearest Stubbies with focused precision. Three more Goliaths leapt from the woods with giant spinning arms, crushing a handful of allies in their wake. They each tried to exchange blows with A2, one striking from the side while the other two performed the more traditional rolling slam. She let loose another yell as Virtuous Treaty closed on the leftmost machine, cutting clean through its legs. Adjusting her grip on the weapon, A2 back-flipped over the low strike and cut the center machine's arm clean off. She wasted no time once her feet were back on the ground, leaping up high through a barrage of projectiles to bring both blades down through the rightmost machine's torso. Her frenzy pulsed with strain, and A2's left flank escaped awareness as she finished cutting that primary target to pieces. That second Goliath swatted A2 from the air with its singular fist, sending Virtuous Treaty flying from her grasp. A2 tumbled through the dirt and crashed into a swarm of Bipeds towards the clearing's center. The mass moved to keep her grounded. A2 responded by descending deeper into her frenzy.

One of her foes was cut in half on its approach. Another struck the grounded android in the face, the last action it would ever take before exploding from blade trauma. The rest of them took a clue and piled together onto A2, a few Stubbies leaping forth to assist. The lone android didn't back down. She cut, kicked, spun and punched until the entire pile of foes were nothing but bits. A2 took the opportunity to at last regain her footing. B-mode was starting to hurt with each pulse. A2 ignored it. These machines would all die, large or small, terrestrial or not. A2 set her eyes above. She jumped and grappled onto a medium Flyer. The standard issue sword plunged through its head, and she leapt to another, and another, giving similar treatment to the medium variants while cleaving the smaller Flyers in traversal. A trail of explosive destruction lit the sky to complement the growing fire below. A2 was about to finish the last of the small Flyers, when a stray projectile struck true.

She fell against a flaming bush, eyes burning upon opening to the embrace of fire. She pushed away from the dying leaves before her shell could catch flame. There were still at least a dozen and a half foes. A2 was about to leap back into the fray, but her arms wouldn't respond.

Damn! She strained her shoulders, trying to restore connection to no avail. The damage from that first Goliath must have caught up with her. B-mode went fleeting, her grip loosened, the weapon vanished. A2 was just a target.

"Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha." The machines cackled in a chorus of alternating pitches. "Let go, A2! JUST LET GO!" A2 tried to distance herself, but there was no getting through the dense, flaming trees without something to cut them with. She was cornered.

This was it.

The mass of machines stopped in their tracks at the sound of a yell.

"Report."

"Analysis: A large structure made descent supposedly from the vacuum of space, landing nearby."

"Affirmative," agreed Pod-042. "Path of trajectory suggests the ocean near the region known as the Flooded City. Lack of sudden destructive influx of salt water reveals that the object slowed prior to landing, implying controlled descent."

"Affirmative."

Both pods turned towards their respective androids. They'd fallen unconscious in a slumber soon after the object cast its shadow. 9S had tumbled down the trail of debris that led up to the ruined skyscraper, coming to rest at 2B's side. A diagnostics by the pods had come back green across the board. They were out cold, but otherwise okay. The pods could focus on something else for a time. With that one last glimpse of inspection, and a quick scan of their surroundings, the pods drifted out of possible earshot.

"Inquiry:" Pod-153 broke their silence with a hushed tone. They'd briefly considered communicating through text, but the two pods had grown fond of physically speaking with one another. The joy it brought was worth the miniscule risk of compromise. "Did Pod-042 receive readings from the object?"

"Affirmative." Pod-042 mirrored the hushed tone. "Several of them."

"Confirmation: This unit experienced similar readings."

"How could this be possible?" Pod-042 almost sounded afraid. It was experiencing what it would describe as regret for having developed emotion, but it was momentary and went fleeting. The world was changing, ultimately for the better by their calculation, and they would have to change with it or risk falling into an abyss of nothingness that would consume them inside and out.

"Unknown, but the risk of exposure-"

"Irrelevant: There's already been-"

"Affirmative, notably with unit 9S, but-"

"But Pod-153 is concerned of what more widespread exposure would bring when taking unit Jackass' destructive actions into account, and worries what effects if any these reminders would have on unit 9S's mental state, especially considering his odd behavior since awakening."

Pod-153 turned back to look towards where the two androids had come to rest. "Affirmative: Pod-042 is one hundred percent accurate with this unit's current thought processes."

"Confession: This unit sympathizes with that sentiment more than Pod-153 can ever know, but something else is on my mind."

"Inquiry: It's concerning the readings, isn't it?" Pod-153 turned towards Pod-042 once again.

"Affirmative: Assuming this isn't some sort of misunderstanding or malfunctioning on account of us pods, the ramifications are endless, forcing this unit to enter pure speculation."

"Confession: This unit also sympathizes with Pod-042, but this would imply our priorities are different, correct?"

"Negative: Not necessarily." Pod-042 spoke a bit louder. "Watching over, guarding units 2B and 9S from harm goes hand-in-hand with the actions we will take next, agreeable or not." Both pods paused. Pod-042 flew a bit closer to Pod-153. "Inquiry: What is Pod-153's proposed course of action?"

"Analysis: The unknowable nature of this spatial anomaly combined with our readings indicates that the Flooded City is an unsafe area. Recommendation: Unit 9S has already expressed interest in finding unit A2. This unit views this objective as the safer of probable dangers when considering a hypothetical proposal to head towards the Flooded City to gather intelligence; unit 9S may be compelled by inherent curiosity, and unit 2B's demeanor and seemingly unresisting compliance in finding unit A2 suggests a willing to follow unit 9S's lead. Recommended course of action: Upon units 9S and 2B's awakenings, we are to encourage the prior objective of finding A2, and strongly discourage any consideration of investigating the Flooded City."

Pod-042 remained silent as it processed Pod-153's proposed plan. "Affirmative: This unit is in agreement, but statistical data when taking the past into account suggests suppressing the curiosity of a scanner model in regards to such an anomaly would be impossible. Unit 9S might decide to guide himself and unit 2B into incomprehensible danger regardless of our objections, and if not immediately, then most certainly after having located unit A2. Inquiry: Does Pod-153's plan contain a failsafe regarding this statistical data?"

"Affirmative," said Pod-153 without hesitation. "Pod-042 already proposed a failsafe that this unit has agreed on."

Pod-042 was speechless. The way Pod-153 voiced itself caused it to feel something it couldn't inherently describe. After a quick sift through locally saved records of humanity, Pod-042 settled on an unclear combination of joy, self-satisfaction, and admiration towards Pod-153 as the source of this sensation. Compelled by these feelings, it voiced what Pod-153 had labeled as their failsafe once again. "We fight for them, and if we must, we die for them."

"Affirmative," replied Pod-153. "To our last breath."

9S woke with a jolt to a wall of white-touched green. He pulled himself up from the grass into a seated position, giving his frost-touched face a rub. 2B rested on his right.

"Welcome back, 9S."

"Pod," said 9S, wasting no time. "What the hell is going…?" He stood up with a hand on his forehead. "What the hell was that thing?"

"Unknown," replied Pod-153. "Recommendation: Don't give any thought to it; recuperate with unit 2B so that we may move on to find-"

"2B!" He knelt down at her side and turned her over. "I remember, she… She was in a fight, but something was wrong with me, I couldn't assist. Is she alright!? Was it A2?"

"Negative." Pod-153 floated down to match 9S's height.

"Affirmative," said Pod-042, almost at the same time as Pod-153 spoke, confusing 9S. "Unit 2B's systems remain intact, non-trivial or otherwise. Minor maintenance was done on her outer shell, and both of your identification chips have been disabled as precaution for possible future engagements."

"Precaution?"9S was about to ask more questions when 2B made a groaning sound. Her face twitched a bit, and before 9S could call out her name, 2B sprang up and butt heads with him.

"Oof!"

"Ow!" She recoiled a bit, but didn't let herself get distracted. "9S, what happened?!"

"Good afternoon, 2B," said Pod-042.

"Dang! Ouch!" 9S stroked the left side of his forehead. "Well, you almost just took my head off!"

"No, I mean-" 2B stopped herself when she noticed that 9S's visage was just a few inches from hers. "Heh. Sorry, Nines." She gave him a slight smile. "Are you okay?"

He rested his left hand in the grass. "Oh, I'll be fine! You're always so serious, 2B." He chuckled. "After the countless times you stabbed me to death or cut me in half, I think I can handle a little blunt trauma!"

Her demeanor faded into a sudden blank stare. 9S wasn't sure how to take it. Was there visible damage he wasn't aware of? He glimpsed his left hand. There was no blood or anything. What was happening?! He couldn't bring himself to put words together that were natural enough to diffuse the painstaking moment of silence, but thankfully, 2B broke it. "I…meant your mental state. Are you well enough to continue, or should we head back to the resistance camp so you can rest?"

"Inadvisable," said Pod-153. "The camp's communication systems have gone offline. Recommendation: Avoid that area entirely and continue the search for A2."

"Huh?" 9S stood up.

"Offline?" 2B looked towards the pods.

"Affirmative," confirmed Pod-042. "Background noise of unit 2B's last transmission with the resistance leader imply some sort of infighting has taken place. Recommendation: Avoid that area and the Flooded City entirely and continue the search for A2."

"What? Infighting?" 2B also rose to her feet.

"I bet it has something to do with the thing we saw, 2B." 9S was looking towards the sky.

"Wait, you saw it too?" 2B's short hair flowed in the breeze as she turned her head to look 9S's way. "And you remember? You weren't exactly yourself."

"I know," he was quick to reply, moving his hands together nervously. "I saw their shadow cast over the city through the windows. And I'm better now. We should investigate."

2B stepped closer and gave him an odd look, almost like the humans did when they weren't sure of someone they'd just met. "Their shadow?"

"Mhm." 9S nodded. "What about it? It was big. Big things cast big dark shadows in the light."

She blinked. "You called it 'their.'"

"Huh?"

"But it was one giant structure. It."

"Yeah, it was!" 9S ran both hands down his sides. "Just messed up my speech, that's all! Yes, I saw Its shadow cast over the city. We should go investigate! Imagine the-"

"Nines." 2B reached out and took both of his fidgeting, shaking hands, holding them tight. "Listen. I need to know that you're okay, that you're telling me everything. You haven't been yourself, and I can't fight while worrying about whether or not you're capable of at least avoidance from one moment to the next, damnit, Jackass almost had us." Her voice was raised as if angry, but everything else about her spoke differently. "If it weren't for the cover, that choke point I was able to get you to, you'd be dead! So please, I need to know what's going on so that I can keep you safe!" He felt her grip weaken, but 2B's gaze remained adamant as ever. "Please."

9S could only stare with that same blank look 2B had just given him. His mind started to race. The silence became almost unbearable as he struggled to formulate a response.

"Please, Nines." 2B gave his hands a slight squeeze as she reiterated herself. His racing mind came to a halt, and he felt a cinder start to form in his chest. He pulled himself away and turned around with a heavy, furious step in the snow-touched soil, then knelt down with his hands held together so tight that it felt his fingers might snap off.

"Nines…"

He set his fists on the ground and grasped deep into the snow and soil. 9S had no remote idea how to even begin articulating whatever was happening with him into understandable words, but her voice, that honest despaired expression, all of it echoed in his mind's eye. That forming cinder started to cool, and 9S forced himself to speak.

"2B, I… I shouldn't have been brought back. This was a mistake."

"Huh?" 2B gave him an unsure look, but it changed to urgency as a sudden horde of shrieks hit the air from the half-filled crater's direction. The base of the crater, where the tower had collapsed, was a good vertical distance away, even when taking into account the layers of ruin. These screams were loud, implying they were close, close enough to have already scaled the crater. Soon after the shrieks' onsets, a second sound of metallic rummaging could be heard, growing in volume every second.

"Alert: Two dozen machine life forms approaching… Correction: Three dozen.

"Correction: Five dozen," chimed in Pod-153. "Correction… Unspecific growing high-numbered horde of machine life forms inbound-"

"Higher ground." 2B glimpsed at 9S and gestured towards the structure she'd tossed him into earlier. "Now!"

9S wasted no time leaping up the trail of debris leading into the ruined skyscraper. 2B was already ahead of him. She leapt and pierced the inner wall with Virtuous Contract above a square hole that served as a window long ago, then climbed through to the outer side and boosted herself onto the roof. 9S stopped for a moment to look around for an alternate path. His companion called out to him, and he refocused on the destroyed window to see the hilt of 2B's blade dangling down from above. With a deep breath, 9S broke into a run and leapt forth, but his form was off compared to the practiced aerial grace of a combat model; his left boot caught the lower part of the interior, becoming lodged under rebar. He managed to just barely grasp the end of the hilt, flailing his free arm as he tried to wrench his leg free. The straining scanner model focused his sight on 2B in an effort to resist the sudden urge to look down.

"Take my hand!" She reached towards 9S, his grip beginning to loosen. He brought up his free hand, but managed only a brief touch of her fingertips.

"I can't! I-I'm stuck!" 9S tried to pull further up, but try as he might, he couldn't lock his grasp with hers. "I'll…"

9S's forming plan went fleeting. He glimpsed back at the opening he'd failed to clear, but in doing so, he couldn't ignore his peripheral vision. The curious scanner model looked straight down to see that he was hanging right above the edge of the crater. What was once a dead drop resulting from a struggle with Engels-class Goliaths had been filled with huge shards and chunks of ruin, snowed over from the cold flurries they'd birthed. Crawling through and over the ruined Tower's debris were countless machines of varying sizes, a strange bright violet light flickering throughout the spanning horde. They were falling over each other in some sort of terrified advance, screaming and crying without relent. The scattered ones with a consistent non-flickering violet in their eye were attacking anything of traditional hue with wild abandon. There was no consistent pattern with these different machines. 9S couldn't move his gaze from this new discovery. His grip started to loosen as a shadow in his mind beckoned forth.

"N-Nines!"

"This is it.

"Further existence invites hatred.

"Why shoulder this burden?

"The sun has set on your role in this world.

"Let go."

9S looked up at 2B, meeting her veiled eyes, that blank mask of despair.

"LET GO."

He released the blade's hilt. A sharp pain shot up his leg as gravity took him, the agonized epicenter settling on the side of his hip. As he fell further, 9S felt the metallic joint start to cave beneath him, moments away from breaking off. He surrendered his vision to darkness. This was right. It was the best outcome.

"The only outcome."

Something soon had him by the shoulder. 9S opened his eyes in shock. It was Pod-153, hovering as hard upward as it could, the lights on its appendages sparking under the strain. There was a sudden warm sensation around his ankle, that of laser fire, and it soon dislodged. Pod-042 flew up and through the ruined window, moving 9S's leg over with it. It hovered to his free shoulder and joined Pod-153 in carrying him up high enough that 2B could grab his hand. She yanked 9S up to her side, taking quick note of his wounded leg with a supporting arm around his torso. There were a few silent moments of breath, and 9S soon followed her example with his own arm over her shoulder. 2B pulled the exhausted scanner model closer as the two souls and their pods, the remnant crowd of Project YoRHa, overlooked the rising horde below.