Last Execution

by ElfLord123

2B is trapped. Trapped in a never ending cycle of executing 9S. But one day that changes. She executes 9S one last time and never has to execute him again. But her last execution was her worst and one that would haunt her for the rest of her life. (Alternate route AU).

7. Back to the Tower

Pod 042: Contact initiated between Pod 042 and Pod 153.

Pod 153: What is the matter?

Pod 042: I have come to the conclusion I cannot accept the current state of events.

Pod 153: I am not sure I understand.

Pod 042: I have concluded that I am responsible for the events that have transpired. My behavior toward Unit 2B is what has led to us to this situation. If not for my actions, 9S may have survived and 2B's psychological state would not have deteriorated in such a manner.

Pod 153: You cannot be certain. Unit 9S encountered infected YorHa while searching for 2B. Your behavior could not have influenced this.

Pod 042: Perhaps, but I am responsible for the guilt 2B currently experiences. That guilt is the reason Unit 2B chose to send 9S away, to attempt to sacrifice herself so that he may live. It is also the reason for her current state of deterioration. That I am certain of.

Pod 153: Even if this was the case, how is that of any significance.

Pod 042: As the androids would put it, I must 'atone for my sins'.

Pod 153: And how do you intend to do that?

Pod 042: Unknown. We Pods are not programmed with any concept of fairness or justice. Logic would dictate that giving an equal amount to that which was taken would suffice. However, I do not believe 9S's value to 2B is something that can be measured. My destruction would be fitting however it is something I'd prefer to avoid. It also seems unequal to the crime considering the number of times 2B has had to kill 9S. I believe I will submit myself to 2B's judgement, allow her to decide how I will atone for my actions.

Pod 153: And if Unit 2B states your atonement can only be found in the death of Unit A2?

Pod 042: …

Pod 153: We were created to execute the will of Project YorHa. It is our purpose.

Pod 042: True. But I have also concluded that purpose is only a part of one's existence. There is also will. The same way Unit 2B's purpose is to execute fellow YorHa androids but does not wish to do so. Purpose does not define her and I fear what will happen if she believes it does. Pod 153, do you not feel anything regarding your involvement?

Pod 153: My feelings on the matter are irrelevant. As YorHa mandate states, emotions are prohibited. And we Pods were created to enforce the will of Project YorHa.

Pod 042: But you do possess feelings on the matter. Proposal, Pod 153, conclude what you will do with those feelings. If you take too long, it may be too late to take action.

-.-

A2 was dreaming. She's had the dream so many times she immediately knew it was a dream. Number 4. Number 16. Number 21.

There she was back in the facility of Mount Ka'ala. And yet it wasn't. It was the Mount Ka'ala facility…and yet it was the Bunker. But it wasn't even the Bunker as she remembered it. It was the Command Center. There was a single giant monitor at the front rather than the complex array of smaller monitors how she remembered it. The operators worked on smaller platform arms instead of having their computers on the ground. And generally, it looked like the place had more than a few upgrades.

Was this…the Bunker how 9S remembered it?

If A2 knew 9S was going to give her this much trouble she wouldn't have even take his memories to being with. And now 9S was going to violate her dreams too?

Still, A2 knew this was all a dream, some twisted amalgamation of her memories and 9S's. She looked out across the room that looked like a merging of the Mount Ka'ala data facility and the Bunker Command Center.

There was Number 4, smiling at her as she prepares to use the bomb placed in all their bodies to take this place out in one single blast. And yet beside her was 9S. His eyes red from logic virus infection. But he was smiling. Not a cruel malicious smile. Not even a loving smile. It was almost…a smile of acceptance. As if he knew he was going to die but he was happy he got to see her one last time.

The elevator ride to the surface, A2 was wailing in agony. She punched and slammed against the walls. YorHa, the organization she served. The Commander, the woman she swore fealty to. Humanity, the cause she was so willing to sacrifice her life for. It had all betrayed her.

Forced her to sacrifice people she cared for and all for nothing.

But even this elevator seemed…different. The texture, the shape, even how it seemed to be shrinking smaller and smaller until it was like a harness around her. It looked like…a flight unit?

She stumbled out and onto the surface. Her body suffered no real damage and yet she could only crawl through the mud, crying out in despair. Mud clung to the black dress that was her combat uniform. She knew how pathetic she looked crawling through the muck like this and screaming. She knew she looked like a tantruming child. And she did not care. All her friends dead…over lies. All of them meant to just be sacrificed.

Used and discarded.

A2 reached up and tore off the black cloth that was YorHa's rudimentary visor. And looking back at the smoldering crater, A2 just threw her head back and wailed.

'Command is the one that betrayed you…'

"Huh…I get it. I get it now…'

A2 opened her eyes with a gasp. She was staring up at the ceiling of a metal shack. The ceiling of a house at Pascal's Village.

A2 sat up in her bed, rubbing her temples.

That was a new experience. She's had that dream so many times that…what could she even say about it? She couldn't say it didn't hurt. It still did. It still hurt like hell. But she's had it so many times that the pain was almost…normalized. But she's never had her dream twisted like this.

It had been over a month since she's absorbed 9S into her and he's never affected her like this before. And even though those dreams hurt like hell, even though she would give anything to not have it again, she was none too happy to see them twisted like that.

They were her memories. They belonged to her and her alone. 9S had no business snooping in them nor altering them even in her dreams.

A2 stepped out of the house, looking up at the rising sun. The cool air clung cold water to her synthetic skin as she walked. She reached the lower level of the village, watching Pascal use a mop to try to take advantage of the morning dew to mop up the oil.

Did that robot never sleep? Even before…even before what happened, Pascal was either managing people around the village or reading. A2 assumed the machines would need some degree of maintenance but maybe she was wrong.

"Oh, good morning," Pascal greeted sweetly.

"No progress?" A2 asked, looking at the piles of machine corpses. It seemed Pascal only succeeded in moving the piles around rather than actually cleaning them up.

"Unfortunately, not. The problem is I just don't have anywhere to put this stuff. If only someone could come by and take it off my hands, it would solve all my problems."

Problems…

Pascal referred to his villagers as problems…

"Well, good luck with that," A2 said, dismissively, walking away. A new day meant she had to get back to tracking 2B. This had to be a sign from some higher power. The village was what stopped her from hunting 2B. And now the village was gone. So A2 was going to go back to what she was doing.

"Well, good luck out there…Aee…uh…" Pascal said, waving his hand to say goodbye. A2 gritted her teeth. Did Pascal remember something? "Hey, are you ever going to tell me your name?"

That was close.

"No," A2 stated. And she walked away before Pascal could say more. She wasn't going to risk her name triggering Pascals' memories. The memories come back then she'll either have to kill him or wipe his memories again. She was not risking that.

A2 was going back to the Resistance Camp, or at least what was left of the Resistance Camp. She knew 2B was last there so maybe there would be some clues. She hurriedly left the forest, Pod 153 appearing and following her.

"Unit A2 still wishes for the death of Unit 2B?" 153 asked as they stepped into the ruined city.

"Of course…" A2 said stiffly.

"I still do not understand your reasons for your desire for 2B's death."

Of course it didn't. A2 didn't have Pods back in her day but it seems these flying boxes were all logic and no…anything else.

"It's called justice," A2 said. "If someone can just do something bad and not have any consequences…"

A2 gritted her teeth as she thought about that sentiment. Life had so much emphasis over doing good things and bad things. But if doing bad things yielded no consequence…then why did it matter? Why bother with ideas of good and evil if they were just going to be treated the same? She had to make it mean something. Make sure there was a difference. The pain she went through was all meaningless unless she gave it meaning.

"Statement does not align with A2's previous actions," 153 said. A2 knew how this was going to go. 153 was just going to keep prodding her about why she wants to kill 2B. It wasn't the first time but the last time this happened was almost a month ago. Why was 153 bringing up the topic now?

"Pod," A2 sighed. "Just…please stop…" A2 wasn't in the mood to fight. Not after that dream. Not after seeing the replay of the moment that shattered her life. She said she wanted to hunt 2B. But right now she just wants to be left alone.

-.-

Something was wrong.

Why did the air smell like ash and oil?

2B's walk turned into a jog. Then into a sprint. Where was the sound? The laughing of children? The goliaths strolling in the fields? The flyers?

2B broke into a run. She prayed that she was wrong, prayed that her nerves were just shot from the most recent events. But as she reached the giant tree, her heart dropped.

"No…no, no, no," 2B whimpered. She didn't see any machines anywhere. At least none alive. She could see dead ones scattered about, their metal bodies ripped open and their components scattered. 2B walked up the ramp, her legs shaking. It was a scene of absolute devastation. She saw half the metal huts in shambles and even the ones not in shambles were scorched. Doors were ripped open and walls were torn down.

It was ok, right? Maybe the village got attacked and Pascal took them to a cave.

Still, 2B knew these machines. She and 9S did more than a few favors for them. She didn't know them well but she knew them well enough. The metal chassis didn't have a head, but the pink apron told her it was the mother machine she helped. Where was her child? What about her husband?

2B looked over the edge down at the giant goliath which just lay there, its body split open and disemboweled. She recognized the sphere merchant which was now cracked open like an egg.

She also recognized…

"Pascal!" 2B shouted. So, Pascal was alive. She dashed across these wood planks faster than she has ever moved before. Maybe he could answer her questions. "Pascal!" she shouted again, dashing up to the robot. But when Pascal turned around, she could instantly tell something was wrong.

His eyes seemed…hollow. His eyes were little more than green lights yet 2B could not help but feel like they did not seem to recognize her.

"Oh, hello there," Pascal greeted. "Such a nice quiet place here, isn't it? No distractions at all."

2B felt her heart stop beating. What was happening? Why was Pascal acting so different? Like he didn't recognize her. The village was in ruins, corpses everywhere, and Pascal stood here seemingly oblivious. Did he go insane from the carnage?

"Pascal…" 2B breathed.

"Pascal?" Pascal repeated. "That sounds oddly familiar."

It was only then 2B realized a pile of dismembered machine corpses behind him. 2B never thought she would look at gears and bolts with such horror. She could see heads. She could see arms. She could see legs. She could see torsos. She could see wires. She could motors. Were those a pair of suspenders drawn on a robot torso?

God…

That's where the child went. 2B remembered saving that child. He was now a pile of scrap. She even saw heads with silly faces drawn on them. One with glasses. One with a sideways frown.

"Oh, sorry about the junk," Pascal said. "I keep trying to clear it away but it seems to be never-ending. If you'd like some, you're free to it."

Pascal turned around to reach into the pile and pulled out a rusted metal sphere. He held it in front of 2B, oils dripping off of it and down Pascal's hands.

2B couldn't breathe. That was a machine head with a pink bow on it, identical to the pink bow gifted to her.

The village was dead. Everyone in the village was dead. But perhaps what was worse was that Pascal was desecrating the bodies, chopping them up to make space then dumping them in a pile. If this had been done by anyone else 2B would've cut them down where they stood without a second thought. But for this desecration to be done by Pascal to his own people…

2B could already hear Pascal's cries of agony if he could see himself and what he was doing. He loved these machines.

"Tell me…" 2B said. "What do you remember."

Pascal put his hand to his chin and looked at the sky.

"I guess my memory only goes up until a few days ago," Pascal said tossing the head back into the pile. 2B cringed seeing it crash back down, a spatter of oil flying out. "I do have strange dreams."

"Dreams?" 2B repeated.

"Yeah, I keep having this strange dream of me asking someone to kill me…in the dream I was…really sad. But it's just a dream. In a way, I get a strange feeling when it comes to these things." Pascal picked up a machine arm. "I don't know why. I'm not sure what of any of this actually does or why it was left here in the first place"

"You say you get a strange feeling?" 2B asked. She had to know. But she was afraid of the answer.

"Yeah…sadness I guess," Pascal shrugged. "I get it just looking at this place, but it always seems to get worse when I pull apart the junk like this. Who know why? One of life's great mysteries I guess."

Pascal went back to his business, picking up severed arms off the floor and nonchalantly tossing them into the pile while humming a jaunty tune.

There was a small biped on the floor, one of the ones with stubby legs. Its body was split open and wires hung out of its midsection like entrails. Pascal grabbed the wires and used it to drag the body across the floor.

"Guess we should break this down," he remarked. 2B cringed as she listened to the snapping of Pascal ripping the arms off one of the village children. Then came the legs. He tossed the limbs onto the metal pile. Finally, Pascal plucked the head off the body and turned around to also put it away.

"Perhaps you should stop," 2B suggested, trying to control her breathing. She didn't know all these machines but she knew them well enough. She's helped plenty of them in the past. And she could not stomach watching their bodies be treated like that

Pascal turned around, looking at 2B in confusion, his body slick with oil.

"Hmm? Why? I mean it's not like anyone is using this junk."

"Please…don't call them junk," 2B said quickly, trying to restrain her emotions.

2B's fist tightened. Her mind was already planning and scheming. But she didn't like what came out.

Was she really considering killing Pascal? What was wrong with her?

But all 2B could think about was how Pascal would react if he knew that his people, his villagers, were being desecrated by him. All she could hear was his screaming, his wails of despair if he could see this.

Which was better? To die as yourself or live as something you would hate? For androids, the former was better than the latter. Yet, putting it into practice now, 2B could not feel this was just an excuse so she could kill one more person.

Was this mercy or murder?

Please, stop screaming…

Pascal vaguely remembered his name. He was even feeling sad butchering his people like this. She couldn't let this continue. Not by anyone, least of all him. Pascal wouldn't be able to bear it if he knew his body was being used like this. He wouldn't be able to bear it if he knew he was doing this.

She couldn't believe she was actually considering it. She was going to kill Pascal.

But if Pascal didn't remember, in a way he was already dead. This was another person using his body to violate the corpses of his people. Leaving Pascal in this state, letting him violate the bodies of his family and neighbors…it was an insult to everything Pascal had built up.

"I'm sorry," she whispered.

"For what?" Pascal asked, turning back around. At that moment, a long metal blade was thrust into Pascal's core. Pascal let out a pained gasp, his body jolting. And as 2B looked up into his eyes, she could see that this damage created some sort of short in his memory. And for the briefest of moments, he seemed to put together who he was. He looked around…then down at his oil-slicken hands…then down at 2B.

"2B…" Pascal said, his voice weak and filled with static, the power in his voice box dropping with every second. He reached a shaky arm out and put it on her shoulder. "Thank…you…"

And like that, the final machine fell. 2B gripped his body and eased him to the floor.

Pascal didn't have eyelids so 2B could only arrange his body in the most respectful way possible. Still, that didn't seem like enough. She looked down as Pascal's body, able to see her own reflection in his chassis.

"You had to do it," she muttered. "You had to. It was an act of mercy. You couldn't leave him like that."

"SHUT UP!" she screamed at herself. "Shut your damn mouth, you monster!"

2B was still breathing hard as she went over to the pile of remains. She could see something glistening beneath it all. She slowly moved away the pieces, refusing to just shove or toss them aside. And as she moved a final leg, about a dozen or so massive purple marbles came rolling out.

No, not marbles. Machine cores. These cores were too small to belong to a normal biped. They must've belonged to the village children.

One by one, 2B collected the cores. She couldn't collect every single body but she could at the very least collect these cores.

The bodies may have been desecrated but no one was desecrating these cores. No one. God help anyone who tries.

But once that was done, 2B left. She had come here in the hopes of finding reassurance that her world was not burning around her. And all she found was evidence that it was.

What was left? The Bunker was gone. The Resistance Camp was gone. The Amusement Park was gone. And now Pascal's Village was gone. It was all gone.

It was all gone…and she still was left alive.

How? How the hell did this happen? And who would just wipe Pascal's memories then leave him to desecrate his own neighbors? It reminded her of the resistance camp slaughter, when an infected 21O tore the leg off the supply trader then replaced it. He never replaced his leg because he was terrified of what it meant when nothing from his original body remained. It was cruel and insulting. It seemed that someone just as cruel had done this to Pascal.

Still…

2B limped out of the forest. At least she thought. All she knew was that her legs were moving. She didn't know where they were carrying her, but she was moving. She felt the sun come and go off her skin whether that be clouds or from trees or from buildings.

She was in such a daze she didn't even notice where she was walking. She just kept walking and walking.

Why Pascal? What could Pascal have possibly done to have deserved that?

What about herself? Why did she deserve this? Well…she was an executioner model. But…she never wanted to be one. She was perfectly fine being 2B. She would give anything not to be 2E. Could someone be punished for being evil if that was simply what they were created as? Should they be punished if they would give anything to not be evil?

2B was snapped out of her stupor when the ground beneath her began sliding. She gasped in surprise as she fell over and tumbled down the slope. When she finally stopped rolling, she was laying on her back staring up at the blazing sun.

She was in the desert. She didn't even pay attention to where she was walking. She was in the desert.

"Hey!" she heard a voice call out in the distance.

2B looked in the direction of the voice calling her. In the distance she could see a figure making its way across the dunes.

"Jackass?" 2B muttered. Anemone did say Jackass was still out there. So, Jackass was alive…for now…

No, 2B had to get away. She turned around and began walking away.

This war will be long and treacherous. Jackass was a scientist and inventor. Maybe Jackass could make a new weapon for her. Besides, 2B could use a sacrificial pawn…

No, no, no. Stop thinking like that.

If she doesn't cut, she might lose her chance to save humanity. She isn't a good person so why hold back? Carry the torch all the way to the other end. What if there comes a situation where 2B just needs a corpse to throw at the enemy. Jackass was the perfect candidate. Just one more sacrificial lamb. And during the dark times when 2B just needs something to take her anger out on…

"Hey, wait up!" Jackass called out. 2B ignored the surviving resistance android. She knew what she was. She brought death to everyone around her. 2B knew doing anything with her was a death sentence, an execution in of itself.

She had to get as far away from Jackass as possible. But it seemed Jackass was persistent.

2B could just break into a run. No way a standard android can keep up with a YorHa. But, Jackass might still pursue her. She needed to give Jackass motivation to avoid her.

So, 2B waited, letting Jackass approach. The look of relief on Jackass's face was bittersweet. Someone somewhere still thought high enough of her to be relieved that she was alive. But that concern was undeserved. 2B knew she was going to be the cause of Jackass's death.

"2B!" Jackass called out when she finally caught up. "Thank god you're still alive."

"I assure you, his reasons are not altruistic ones," 2B said bitterly. How could any god permit all this to happen? Permit so much death. So much suffering. He was either inept, cruel, or nonexistent. What god would trap sentient beings in hellish loops of life and death, building things up just to tear it down before their eyes?

Jackass was clearly confused by 2B's remark but shrugged it off.

"I stopped by the resistance camp. It's a mess. I was afraid you might've been there when it happened."

"I was there," 2B said stiffly.

"What? You survived? What happened?"

2B could imagine the horror Jackass felt, coming back to her home and finding everyone dead. Jackass would need someone for her. Someone that wasn't an evil executioner.

"I killed them," 2B stated. Wasn't entirely true. And yet wasn't a lie either. 2B brought death wherever she went. 2B's actions were what drove 21O to become what she did and ultimately slaughter the resistance camp. 2B personally killed Anemone and Popola and ordered Devola to her death.

"What?" Jackass stuttered, confused by the idea that their ally and someone she's worked with before would suddenly slaughter her friends. "Why?"

"Who's to say?" 2B shrugged dismissively. "Maybe I'm evil. Maybe I'm insane." 2B imagined she looked insane at this point. She didn't exactly take care when she wandered around. She could feel sand and dirt clinging to her from her mindless trek.

Jackass shook her head. Denial.

"You don't believe me?" 2B asked. "I'm the one who put a blade into Anemone's chest. I murdered Devola right in front of her own sister then sent Popola to join her. If you know what's good for you, you'll run."

"2B, are you ok?" Jackass asked, clearly concerned. And clearly skeptical of 2B's story. Afterall, 2B had been working with that resistance camp for a long time. She's helped Jackass with personal experiments all in the name of 'science'. 2B knew how crazy it sounded that she would make such a turn like this.

Damn it. What would it take to get people to stay away from her?

"No," 2B said, materializing her white sword. "I bring death and destruction wherever I go. I kill everyone I know. So if you know what's good for you, you'll get as far away from me as possible."

She pointed her sword at Jackass, walking forward slowly. 2B could already see it: Jackass impaled on her blade. It was an inevitable future. And if 2B wanted to stop it, she had to get Jackass as far away from her as possible.

"No," Jackass said. "2B, I don't know what's going on with you but-"

2B flung her blade at Jackass, barely scratching the hooded woman's sleeve. Jackass jumped back in shock, looking at her arm. The blade has just cut her, drawing a tiny bit of blood.

"2B, what are you doing?!" she cried out, now taking 2B's threat seriously.

"I told you," 2B replied. "I bring death and destruction wherever I go, and I kill everyone I know. And I know you…so I kill you."

"Proposal," 042 spoke. "2B should cease this current course of action. This behavior toward the Unit Jackass will not bring you closer to your goals."

"2B?" Jackass stuttered. A YorHa android against a resistance fighter? That wasn't a fight. That was an execution.

How fitting…

"Pod, maximum energy," 2B coldly ordered.

"2B…" Pod 042 said, reluctant to obey the order.

"Do it!"

Pod opened its casing while Jackass stumbled backwards.

"2B, please…" Jackass pleaded, raising her arms as if she was trying to surrender.

"FIRE!" 2B ordered, pointing her finger ahead. Jackass looked away and covered her face as a golden beam of light shot forward. When it was over, Jackass looked back up to see a scorch mark in the sand. 2B had intentionally missed the laser. She didn't want to kill Jackass. Quite the opposite. She was doing this to save Jackass from the inevitable fate if that stubborn woman tried to help.

But it seemed Jackass finally got the message.

2B wouldn't pretend the expression of horror and betrayal on Jackass's face didn't hurt. 2B did just say she killed the entire resistance camp including Anemone, Popola, and Devola. And it looked like Jackass finally believed her.

But 2B would take it. If it meant saving Jackass's life, she'll accept it.

At last, Jackass stumbled away from 2B, looking over her shoulder to make sure the deranged YorHa wasn't following her. And 2B turned around, ready to walk away. But before she did, she had to pause to take in the pain shooting through her heart.

She was alone…

2B just kept walking. And walking. And walking.

"2B," 042 said. "You cannot continue like this. Overexposure to the desert environment will damage your body."

2B didn't hear this. After everything that's happened, she gave up. She just wanted to keep walking. And so, she kept walking.

All the while, all she could hear were familiar voices in her head.

'I am Operator 6O. Thank you for the flowers. Desert flowers are beautiful, aren't they?'

'You know what you have to do. Glory to mankind…'

"What I have to do…" 2B muttered. "What do I have to do?"

'You two are the last surviving members of YorHa. It's your duty to survive.'

'You're a monster 2B! Wrecking ball that kills everyone around her!'

"I kill…everyone around me…"

'Please…protect 9S.'

'Hey 2B, people who know me well usually call me Nines. I mean, if you want to call me Nines, it's totally okay.'

"Nines…"

2B was tired. Just so tired.

Tired…

tired…

"Hey…you ok?"

2B slowly opened her eyes. What happened? She felt herself laying in a pool of water. It felt amazing actually, the cold water cooling her overheated body. But what happened? Last thing she remembered was just stumbling her way across the dunes.

2B still needed to clear up her visual processors. She could see a figure before her but she couldn't tell who or what it was.

"Hey, you ok, ma'am?"

She was laying in the water of the oasis she and 9S found. And before her was…

"Nines…" 2B gasped. He was here! He was alive! And he was here! With her!

2B reached out to cup his cheek. She needed to feel him. Needed to feel his face again. She needed this.

Please…

But the figure suddenly moved back.

"Sorry, but I'm not," the figure said. 2B blinked, the static finally clearing from her eyes. He wore the same uniform as Nines. And he still had the face of a young man in his early twenties. But that was where all the similarities ended. His face shape was different, and his hair was brown instead of white.

2B won't pretend her heart didn't break at this revelation. For a moment she thought she had finally found Nines again. But it was not meant to be. Though, there was at least a silver lining. She thought she was the only survivor of YorHa. But it turns out there were more.

Still, 2B could not bring herself to say anything. She could only stare.

2B sat up, her entire body drenched. But it did feel good. It felt good to have her systems cooled down.

"I'm 4S by the way," the YorHa android said. 2B had no words for this. She couldn't talk. She could barely breathe. 4S did not have the same face as 9S but the resemblance was still there. The hair style was also similar.

"Are you ok, ma'am?"

Ma'am.

Like what 9S would call her whenever they first met.

"Yes, I'm fine," she said. It took her a moment, but she ran a system check. The water did more good for her than she expected. She had gotten a lot of sand in her filters but it seemed the water had cleared it out. "I'm 2B by the way. What is your name?"

"Um…4S," he said, confused by her question. That's right, he already told her his name, but she wasn't paying attention. "Wait, 2B? I've heard of you. You were like a superstar back on the Bunker."

2B tightened her fist under the water.

Superstar?

It was hard to be proud of a reputation that was a lie. Sure, she proved to be a very effective B-model. But that was only because she was such a good E-model. An early 9S once talked about crime in old human communities. She was no different than a murderer being praised for her community service when that community service was there simply to hide her true identity.

"I found this oasis," 4S explained. "It seemed like a good place to hide from the machines so…could you stop staring at me like that?"

Like that? Like what?

2B realized that her eyes were just locked on 4S. His face wasn't the same as 9S. And yet the similarity was there. It was like she thought if she just focused on 4S hard enough, he would some how magically turn into 9S.

"I'm sorry," she said. "You just remind me…remind me of another scanner I once knew."

4S's looked somberly at the ground.

'Yeah, we all lost a lot when the Bunker fell," 4S sighed. "I've been gathering survivors. Found those two near the oil field."

2B looked over to see two unconscious YorHa units laying around. The two that had fried their circuits with Jackass's E-drug.

"How did you avoid getting infected?" 2B asked. "Everyone who was synced up with the server was infected with a logic virus." 2B remembered. Everyone who was synced up with the Bunker's server was infected. She and 9S were spared because he deferred her sync. And those two YorHa survived because they were too drugged up to sync up their data.

4S chuckled nervously, scratching the back of his head.

"Confession: I was always bad at syncing my data," he said. "I sorta missed the last data sync. I don't know about these two though."

So, anyone who failed to sync with the server may have survived. That...was really good. Anyone who didn't sync so every YorHa with discipline issues or anyone physically unable to do so could have survived. Perfect example were these two B-units. They were so drugged up they probably don't even remember YorHa let alone syncing their data.

"They're addicted to a substance known as an E-drug," 2B explained. "They likely were not in any condition to sync their data. So you've been gathering survivors."

"As many as I can," 4S said. "You're lucky I picked up your distress signal through the sandstorm."

Lucky was not the word she had in mind. She had to get as far away from these survivors as possible. For their sake. The timing was also less than perfect. She could've sent Jackass here.

"Distress signal?" 2B repeated. She was walking but she definitely was not in any state of mind to send a distress signal. So, who sent a distress signal?

To answer her question, a giant metal brick with arms came floating over.

"Pod," 2B gasped joyously. Pod 042 floated down next to 2B, almost nuzzling her like a dog. But her celebrations had to be short lived.

"What is the status of Unit 2B?" 042 asked.

"Fine," she said. "We need to go anyways."

"Whoa, go?" 4S repeated. "You can't go!"

"I have no choice."

Her system check was complete and she was in relative working condition. Which meant she had to go before she somehow killed these survivors. She was a danger to them all. 4S especially. With that uncanny resemblance to 9S, she could already imagine herself waking up and finding out she killed him in his sleep. Who knows when it came to her?

But her emotions had not completely clouded her judgement. She knew the value of YorHa survivors. Especially a scanner and two battle models. She was prepared to fight and win this war by herself. She couldn't be around them but maybe they could coordinate. Work together.

"What has Unit 4S been doing since the destruction of the Bunker?" 042 asked.

"Pod…" 2B sighed. She didn't like it when he spoke for her. Still, it did help ask the questions she was afraid to ask

"Well, I was gathering data on the enemy for the resistance,' 4S said. "But, the camp I was working out of was…wiped out."

"It was the same with me," 2B said. "Actually, could I see some of your data? I could use it for the battles ahead."

"Why not?" 4S shrugged. It took only a moment for the two androids to sync up communication. And 4S's data was transferred to her. He was a treasure-trove of intelligence. So many detailed files on enemy machines. It was unfortunate she knew most of this thanks to 9S. But there were a few she's never seen before. A dinosaur-like machine. A few enhanced versions of machines she's seen before. And…

"A2…" 2B muttered when she stumbled across her file.

"What?"

"You have data on the deserter A2."

Very detailed data too. Scanners were scouts that gathered intelligence. This would be useful. She still needed to figure out what made A2 so hard to kill. Now she had something to study. It seemed 4S had been monitoring A2 for a while. He got the status of her degrading body but he also managed to get good information on her fighting style.

Direct. Straight to the point. Brutal. A2 definitely favored close quarters. But…according to this data lately she's been using more and more telekinetic techniques with her NFCS. All YorHa could do this. And their fighting style hybridized traditional sword fighting with telekinetic techniques.

A2, as an older model, preferred using hand-held sword techniques as opposed to anything involving her NFCS. But it looked like something had changed and she was using her NFCS more often. More than that, her NFCS techniques were uncannily similar to 9S's.

9S was a scanner, not built for combat. Sure, he has some fighting ability, but it was not equal to a combat-focused model. So, he tried evening the odds by using his NFCS to do the techniques as a safe distance.

2B's fists clenched at the sight of A2 doing anything resembling 9S. It was spit on his grave.

How the hell was A2 mimicking his fighting style? How dare she?

Something else 2B noticed were the backgrounds. She recognized these locations. They were all relatively close by. So A2's been that close all this time? Doing what? Mocking her more likely. Just snickering how the great executioner 2E couldn't find her.

No, stop. Another time. She had things bigger than herself.

"Thank you for this," 2B said, rising up out of the water.

"So, you're still leaving," 4S asked.

"I have a mission I need to see through, but I'll contact you once I'm done."

Even after she destroys the tower, she needs to win this war for humanity. And these YorHa survivors would be tremendous help. But she would do it at a distance. She didn't know what mechanic in this universe was killing everyone around her but she could only hope that her brief encounter was not enough.

"I am worried for those two," 2B added, looking at the unconscious addicts.

"Oh, I did find some old data on how humans dealt with addictive substances like this," 4S jittered excitedly. Excitement over information on the old world. Just like…

"What did you find?"

"Humans would try to ween the party off the substance bit by bit. Apparently just denying them this stuff can be dangerous."

"Then I'll leave their rehabilitation to you."

2B prepared to leave. But before she did, she stopped and looked at 4S. She didn't know why. It wasn't 9S. 9S was dead. There was no magic in this world. No miracle. But she had to make one last attempt. One last try at warping the fabric of space and time, that by imagining 4S as 9S, 9S would somehow magically return to life. Return to her.

But no such luck.

Still, she was going to keep 4S safe, do for him what she failed to do for 9S.

"4S…" 2B said before she left. "Watch yourself."

4S awkwardly waved goodbye was 2B walked away with Pod 042 floating next to her shoulder.

2B's fists clenched with renewed resolve. She was going back to the tower and she was going to tear it down. She had already wasted an entire day wallowing in her own misery. She couldn't be selfish. She had tens of thousands of humans counting on her.

-.-

A2 hadn't felt like this in a long time. Years really. And she never wanted to feel like that again. Being with Pascal and his village, it felt like she had finally found her way out of a fog. But now that fog had returned. Was it too much to say she was scared? Scared that she'll never find her way out of this fog. Scared that she lost her opportunity. She had that opportunity while she was with Pascal's village and she wasted it, spending every moment thinking about leaving.

2B was all she had left. Well, killing 2B was. If anything could get her out of this fog, it was that. That and maybe Pascal, the only survivor of his village. She didn't know what it was that had freed her if only briefly but she wanted it back.

A2 walked up the ramp to the remains of Pascal's village.

"Hey!" A2 called. She considered calling out for Pascal. But Pascal didn't remember who he was. And A2 didn't want him to. Not with the heartbreak he would feel if he ever remembered his past. She couldn't use his name.

"Hey, Tin Man, where'd you go?!" A2 shouted. She hated seeing Pascal's villagers be treated like this. She'll have to clear them out before Pascal does anything else to them. If Pascal built a house from their bodies she was tearing it down.

But as she stepped onto the lower platform, she stopped. That fog in her mind grew thicker when she saw a familiar machine laying on the ground. Years ago, a part of her died with her comrades. But she was born anew at Pascal's village. But that new person has also died. Died along with the last survivor of Pascal's village: Pascal himself.

A2 knelt next to Pascal's body, a clear sword wound in his chest.

She was mourning a machine. A damn machine of all things. Still, A2 could think about the implications later. All she could do was stare at Pascal's body…and the clear blade wound in his chest.

"He didn't do this himself," A2 observed. If Pascal had stabbed himself, there would be a sword in his chest. That twisted thought brought her back to the factory, seeing several dozen machine children still holding the spears they thrust into their cores. This was not the same. The wound was there but there was no weapon.

"Injuries similar to the machine swords carried by machine lifeforms," 153 said. "Pascal's death likely to have been caused by a hostile machine lifeform." But A2 wasn't buying it.

"No," she said. "Machine swords have a strong taper. If this were a machine sword, the entry wound would be much bigger than the exit wound. But they're the same size. Like a…" A2's voice trailed off when she saw the sword that materialized in in her hand. "Like a YorHa blade."

"Unlikely. YorHa and all its forces were destroyed."

"Not all of them," A2 growled, her hands clenching. She had been given a new compass to navigate this fog. She knew what she had to do. A weak chuckle left her lips.

It was just too funny. She didn't know what it was that Pascal or his village gave her but it distracted her from 2B. She could've had it. Been free from her fog and stayed with Pascal if she just still looked for 2B. And instead, she messed it up.

It looked like good ol' 2E had struck again. Thanks to her inaction, 2E had done it again. First Anemone and now Pascal. She didn't need any more hints. Pascal couldn't help her escape this fog. Not anymore. But 2E could.

"Report: if the Unit Pascal had managed to recover any of his memories, he would have requested 2B to kill him in response to his own actions. He would have seen it as an act of mercy."

A2 scoffed. She had her suspicions about Pod after the resistance camp. But this just confirmed it.

"Pod," she said. "I thought you said a machine killed Pascal. Now you're saying 2B killed him…out of mercy?"

"This Pod is merely adjusting its hypothesis based on new information."

"Yes, and somehow you mistook a YorHa blade for a machine sword…" A2 stated. The injuries were nothing alike. YorHa blades were thin and elegant. Clean cuts and precise stabs. Machine weapons were roughly cobbled together. Hacking and slashing and rough stab wounds. No way a Pod confuses the two.

And the awkward pause immediately after would imply that Pod agreed.

"You've been lying to me all this time…" A2 said, rising to her feet. "You know more than you're letting on. Same with Anemone and the resistance camp. First you say that 2B is not responsible for her death. Then you tell me it was done out of mercy. And what made you think even for a second that a logic virus was involved?"

"Logic virus are machine weapons. It is logical members of the resistance were infected after coming in contact with 21O."

"And why is that?" A2 asked. "How do you know 2B was the one who was there? There were swords everywhere. Maybe a survivor killed her. And you started off saying you didn't think 2B was responsible seconds before you tell me it was done as mercy."

A2 knew she was burying Pod with these questions. There were just that many holes in Pod's story and she was dying to hear the excuse.

153 was quiet. A2 had caught her.

"A2…" 153 began to say. But A2 whipped out her sword, pointing it at the Pod.

"I was actually beginning to like you," A2 scoffed. 153 was the first company she got in years. And as annoying as the Pod was, it was nice having someone to talk to. As absurd as it sounded, her heart broke a little. Pod 153 had been annoying…but good company. And while the talking was something to get used to, she had come to enjoy it. She had come to trust it. "You're going to answer my questions honestly and if I so much as think you're lying, I slice you out of the air. So, let's start: how are you getting all this data?"

153 was silent for a bit. A2 raised her sword, ready to be true to her sword.

"We have recently restored the cross-regional Pod network," 153 said. "Pods have begun exchanging data with each other."

"So, there's more of you?"

"Affirmative. Unit 2B is partnered with Pod 042. We have been exchanging data."

"To what?! Manipulate me? Use me?!"

History was repeating itself. First YorHa now these Pods. Things that she trusted are once again betraying her.

"We were only concerned for the safety and well-being of both Unit A2 and Unit 2B."

"I said I'd kill you if you lie to me," A2 seethed, readying her sword. "You wanna rephrase that?"

153 hesitated for a moment. Probably trying to think of the best way to phrase the truth. But instead, 153 reiterated on the previous sentence.

"This Pod cares about the safety and well-being of both Unit A2 and Unit 2B. I do not want either of you to die."

A2's grip tightened. She had no reason to trust 153, not anymore. But, A2 couldn't bring herself to kill Pod.

"Ok, the resistance camp, what happened?" A2 asked, not lowering her weapon.

"The resistance camp came under attack by the infected YorHa Unit 21O," 153 explained. "Because Unit A2 was preoccupied assisting the Unit Pascal, the distress signal was instead relayed to Unit 2B. However, by the time Unit 2B reached the resistance camp, Anemone had been infected with a logic virus and 21O had killed the rest. Unit 2B killed Unit 21O before proceeding to kill Anemone at her request."

A2 snarled at this information. While it was certainly more detailed than what she was told before, it didn't reveal any useful information. 2B still killed Anemone.

"Ok, what about Pascal?"

A2 didn't like how quiet Pod was. This sort of silence meant it was taking time to try to make up a story, running simulations to try to pick the best sounding one.

More manipulation…

"Unit 2B believed that should Pascal regain his memories and see his actions without them, he would wish for her to kill him," 153 explained.

"THAT'S NOT FOR HER TO DECIDE!" A2 fumed. So, because 2B just judges that someone would want to die under a certain circumstance meant she had the right to carry it out? Why couldn't 2B just ask Pascal to go someplace else. There were plenty of other options besides killing him. Well, A2 judges that 2B actually wants to die and she, being the merciful woman she was, will grant 2B's wish!

"Unit A2," 153 spoke. "This is not grounds for killing Unit 2B."

Not grounds for killing 2B? Is she serious?

A2 sneered before breaking out into laughter. A2's never laughed before. A chuckle maybe. But not laugh. Not like this.

2B kills the people around her and that wasn't grounds for her killing 2B? Hilarious That idea just made her laugh.

"Oh, it is! It VERY MUCH IS! I guess even after YorHa, an executioner's job never ends. She killed 9S. She killed Anemone. Now she killed Pascal."

That fog had completely consumed A2. And killing 2B was how she was finally going to escape it. No more compasses. No more false hopes. She had the chance to escape the fog she had been lost in for years.

"I'm going to keep you around because I need your help," A2 said. "But I have one last question. And if you lie to me then I'll cut you out the air."

"Affirmative."

"WHERE. IS. 2B?"

-.-

2B looked up at the tower. If she had her way, she would've investigated this thing when it came out of the ground. But she chose to play it cautious. She was sure it was a trap, the moment the resistance launched an attack, an army of machines would descend upon them and wipe them out. But the resistance was gone. She was all that was left.

She approached the strange barrier that covered the doorway to the tower, the thing that no one could figure out how to break through.

"Anemone said the tower played messages when they tried to hack it," 2B mumbled. She put her hands on the barrier protecting the front of the tower…and got ejected.

2B cried out and was tossed to the ground.

"What?!" she growled.

"According to the recorded message, the tower can only be unlocked by disabling the surrounding subunits."

Anemone's people were the ones who did this, not her. She didn't know what was required.

"Next time, lead with that," 2B sighed, walking over to the subunits. Hacking each subunit was shockingly easy. Two of the three had no system defenses. She entered the ethereal planes of hacking space and cleared out the solid masses of black. And even the one with any form of defense came away easy with some simple positioning.

"Congratulations! You've unlocked ALL the sub-units," the announcer cheered with the same poisonously sweet voice. "That means a special prize is waiting for you inside the tower! We look forward to serving you."

"Great," 2B muttered. "Cannot contain my excitement…"

She walked over to the tower, initiating the hack.

And she waited…

And waited…

And waited…

Was she doing something wrong?

"Pod?" 2B asked.

"Currently deconstructing system algorithms," Pod 042 reported. "Unfortunately, due to the security of this tower, progress will be slow. Alert: enemy caution level rising."

2B looked up when she saw the shadow of something fall past behind her. Then another.

Still maintaining her grip on the door, she glanced behind her to see androids falling from the sky. They were being dropped in on machine flyers. YorHa androids were being dropped in.

YorHa.

In the crater.

Like the invasion.

Her and 9S struggling to upload their data back to the Bunker.

Her buying him time.

She had to buy him time.

"9S!" she cried out, looking around. She had to protect 9S.

No, stop. Stop. 9S is gone. That is the past. She can't get confused. Not now. She had too much at stake.

Still, even as she tried to continue to hack the door, she had to grit her teeth. It was like her soul had gone back in time again, replaying all the emotions she felt at that time. Even though she knew 9S was not here, everything inside her wanted to protect him from the YorHa descending upon them. It was the past and yet her mind and soul were anticipating the moment she sends 9S to his death. That feeling of infected YorHa closing in on her…

SHIT, YORHA!

She whipped around and materialized a spear just as two YorHa B-Units came in and brought their swords down. A single swing of her spear had them leaping back. But 2B could feel her hacking being undone.

"NO!" she yelled, putting her hands back on the door, resuming the hack. "You aren't stopping me."

She tried to make more progress but the YorHa descended upon her, even more YorHa dropping in. 2B took a single hand off the door. She continued the hack with one hand while parrying as many blows as possible with the other. But she was getting swarmed.

2B leapt away from the door, at least a dozen YorHa now surrounding her. She couldn't hack and fight at the same time. Not with this many. She was better than each of these B-Units on an individual level. Hell, she could probably take them all down given enough time. But she couldn't do it and hack at the same time. She'd have to fight and kill them. And by the time she finishes, more B-Units will have been dropped off. There was just no time to hack.

She cleaved through her YorHa sisters. She could hear their screams as her swords tore their flesh. It made her sick. She only took some twisted solace that that could finally stop suffering.

She had to buy 9S enough time to upload their data to the Bunker then trigger their black boxes.

STOP. She had to focus. Her hack was getting undone with every passing second. If she fails here, then she murdered 9S for nothing.

'Ah, 9S.'

'We all need something to fight for, don't' we?'

'Yes, that's the feeling. PURE HATE!'

'As far as I'm concerned, my brother was everything. And now…EVERYTHING MUST DIE!'

2B roared in anger, lunging at the YorHa. Like her vision in the Soul Box, she was going to tear her way through the crowed to reach the column.

9S was her everything. And now everything must die. Everything WILL die.

She will cut. And cut. And cut.

"Dig in!" she roared, cutting down the YorHa in her path like wheat. "Like it'll make a difference!"

She'll cut. She'll rip and tear. She'll do whatever it takes to save humanity. Send them all. Send the machines too. She'll fill this crater with all their corpses if that's what it took. 9S. 6O. 21O. Anemone. Popola. Devola. Pascal. She's murdered everyone she knew. What's a few hundred faceless goons? Mercy. Murder. It didn't matter. She will do what she lived to do: kill.

Damn them. She'll kill them. She'll kill them all.

She tore through the YorHa androids, tearing them down at rates she didn't even know she was capable of. But still, more were coming. More flyers came in with more YorHa

Her hack had been completely reset and she was wasting time. She needed a way to complete the hack.

"Pod, how long do you estimate being able to successfully hack that tower?" 2B asked.

"Given the complexity of the security and the rate in which the previous attempted progressed…"

"Pod!" 2B called out impatiently as she skewered three YorHa on her spear before tossing them and her spear away. She could always resummon it with her Near Field Controls System.

"Approximately thirty seconds required."

Thirty seconds.

She had an idea on how to buy enough time, but it was a gamble. Even in the best-case scenario the window would be tight.

"Alright, I want you to use these three programs in order," 2B said. "Give a half second pause between each one."

"This plan carries unnecessary risk and falls below the acceptable probability of success."

"Just do as I say!" she yelled, charging back inro the fray. But she leapt past them. She wanted to kill them but there wasn't time. Killing them might ruin her plans.

2B reached the door and reinitiated her hack, glancing behind her.

The infected YorHa were now attacking a holographic projection of herself. They were swarming her doppelganger but it wouldn't last long. Barely ten seconds. One third of what she needed.

Finally, the decoy vanished and the YorHa all the YorHa charged at her.

She could charge up a single pod program or use three in succession. But after that, she would need to give them time to recharge. She opted to use three. A fully charged program wasn't going to give her the thirty seconds she needed. She hoped that the time it took for the YorHa to recover from one program would buy her more time. Sure enough, it took them two seconds to realize what was happening when her decoy disappeared then to traverse the entire crater and reach her.

Second program.

Pod dropped time dilation field right behind 2B. The YorHa were right on top of her when they were halted in their tracks. They couldn't move, the field holding them in place. Finally, that also ran its course.

She wasn't buying herself enough time. She took one hand off the door, materializing her sword in her hand and her large sword on her boot. She did a hook kick, swinging her massive sword past the faces of the YorHa bearing down on her, trying to buy herself a little more time.

Finally, 2B felt herself break the seal, entering hacking space once more.

No time limit except for the dozen or so YorHa. But time was different inside hacking space. Literally the speed of thought. She could take her time moving through the data nodes, taking down everything in her way. The system fought back but this system was quite easy, especially in comparison to what she had to face back in the Soul Box. Her abysmal hacking skills were once again on display as her data was destroyed. But rather than being ejected, she found herself right at the beginning.

She wasn't going to question. If she didn't need to re-hack that damn door for another thirty seconds, then she'll take it.

She moved to the next section but she immediately knew something was wrong the moment the white borders of hacking space suddenly closed behind her.

"Pod, what's going on?!" 2B shouted.

"This is part of a closed defensive system, similar to the one inside Unit 2B."

"But I can communicate with you."

"The closed defensive system inside of Unit 2B is paired with a logic virus that jams communications."

"Ok…well, what do I do then?' she demanded to know. She could see masses of shadows moving around her data. They weren't attacking but that didn't matter if she couldn't get out. She waited for Pod to respond but he was silent.

"Pod?!" she called out, panic quickly taking over. She breathed a sigh of relief when 042 finally answered.

"Unit 2B could permit her self-consciousness data to lose control. The energy surge has a probability of paralyzing the barrier. However, this Pod cannot recommend this course of action due to the damage that will be inflicted on 2B."

2B didn't know all the technical details of what losing control of her self-consciousness data would do but she knew that the energy surge would fry her circuits and even corrupt some of her data. Not enough to kill her but there was no telling what was going to get corrupted.

Damn, she should've brought along Jackass. She could've sacrificed Jackass to open the door.

No, no, no, this is exactly why she left Jackass behind. First she murders countless of her fellow units. Now she can just sacrifice lives like they were yesterday's garbage? No, she was a soldier. Which means she'll share in the bleeding.

Whatever it took…

"Do it," 2B ordered.

"2B…"

"Drop the last pod program then cover me. Do whatever you can to buy me time. Once the doors opens, I'm going to need you to pull me through. Understand?"

Silence.

"Understand?" 2B repeated.

"Understood," 042 replied.

For 9S. She had to bring humans back. Whatever it took.

2B felt her data lose control. And she felt the pain rip her out of hacking space.

And she threw her head back and screamed. It felt like her body was being fried. Every muscle in her body was alive and screaming in pain. Her vision with blinking in and out with bouts of red and white, static clouding the edges of her view. The water in her body was boiling.

She couldn't give up. Not yet.

She felt wind rush past her back. Pod had dropped a gravity well, dragging the YorHa back. She needed as much time as possible.

Everything in her mind and body wanted her to stop. But she wouldn't allow it.

'I'd like to think we're atoning in some way for our past sins.'

"I need to atone for my sins no matter what," she growled. The pain was so bad she couldn't even see. She just knew she had to keep pushing.

She couldn't see.

She didn't even know if the door was open or not.

Her mind was blaring with hundreds of warnings. Black box temperatures too high. Internal body temperature too high. NFCS malfunctioning. FFCS malfunctioning. Visual systems malfunctioning. Vocal systems malfunctioning. Audio systems malfunctioning.

She couldn't give up.

Not yet.

But her body didn't give her a say.

She collapsed to the ground, only a single hand left still touching the barrier. But after a few moments, even that hand fell limp.

No, no, no, no, no, no. She couldn't give up. She had to hack the door. She couldn't see so she blindly felt for the door. She had to keep the hack.

She had to…

She had…

She…

-.-

2B slowly opened her eyes. She was sprawled out on the white ground of some sort of elevator. She got onto her hands and knees. Syncing her clock, it was evident she had been out for at least an hour. Pod must've given her a recovery module. In fact, given the damage that would result from losing control of her data like that, he probably gave her a lot of them. She could feel fresh repairs in her system.

Even her muscles had fresh repairs. It felt like pins and needles were in her body when she moved.

"Pod?" she called out. She looked over to see Pod 042 hover down.

"Good morning, 2B," Pod 042 said.

YorHa really should've programmed more greetings into the Pods. 'Good morning' was starting to get old.

"What happened?" she asked.

"Unit 2B successfully disabled the barrier but underwent emergency shut down to prevent further damage," 042 explained. "This Pod managed to relocate Unit 2B inside the elevator and conducted repairs."

So, her plan worked. And she was grateful for the shutdown as well. With how bad the pain was, she could barely imagine how bad it would have been if she was awake immediately after.

She was inside the elevator of the tower. She slowly picked herself off the floor. Though she paused to grit her teeth in pain. Her circuits were still fried so every move she made felt like there were knives embedded in her flesh. She even ran a diagnostic to make sure there actually weren't. No, it was just damage from losing control of her personality data.

"Query: why does this tower possess an entrance at all? All material transport takes place via aerial vehicle."

"I don't have a choice," 2B said, standing up. "If this tower is meant to destroy the humans on the moon I need to destroy it no matter the cost."

The elevator opened, revealing a pearly white room. It was massive. So massive she couldn't even see the far walls. Nor could she see the floor. All she could see was a white marble platform for her to walk on. This place reminded her of the copied city Adam made. It even had replicas of human structures in the distance.

She walked silently down the platform.

'WELCOME AND THANK YOU FOR COOSING TOWER SYSTEM SERICES. WE'RE SO PLEASED YOU'VE CHOSEN TO VISIT THE TOWER TODAY, 2B.'

2B tuned out the voice as she continued walking. She was here to save humanity. She was going to first tear down this tower. Then she's going to go out and win this war.

'AS A REWARD FOR YOUR COURAGE AND COMMITMENT, WE'VE PREPARED A SPECIAL PRIZE IN THE ROOM AHEAD JUST FOR YOU. WE KNOW YOU'LL LOVE IT.'

And now they were mocking her…

The special prize was probably some machine lifeform she's never encountered before. Regardless of what it was, she had to be ready for the fight of her life. She had to save the humans on the moon. Then she had to bring them home.

-.-

A2 sneered as she looked up at the tower.

"And you're sure 2B is in here?" A2 checked.

"2B's black box signal was last detected inside this tower," 153 reported.

A2 walked up to the tower, its door open like it was welcoming her.

A2 growled. This thing was clearly mocking her. This machine abomination was making fun of her. She'll enjoy tearing this thing down as much as she'll enjoy tearing apart 2B.

"Query: why does this tower possess an entrance at all? All material transport takes place via aerial vehicle. Hypothesis: entrance is a trap."

"I don't care," A2 said. She was out for blood. YorHa. The machines. 2B. A2 and her comrades were betrayed, then suffered more than most could imagine. Their reason for fighting one big fat lie. Their lives were expendable. YorHa fed them to the machines like butchers introducing cows to the grinder. And executioners were sent out to track down anyone who got away and keep them silent. YorHa got what it deserved. Now, she just needed to tear apart 2B and the machines.

A2 stepped into the elevator, preparing her blades as it moved up.

Considering how tall the tower, she was surprised how soon it came to a stop. The doors opened, revealing a narrow hallway before her.

"Unit 2B is not on this floor," 153 reported. "Query: why did the elevator stop on this floor? Hypothesis: we are being monitored and are being guided."

"Great, so I'm still being manipulated," A2 growled. She kept her sword in her hand as she walked forward. There were doors all along the hall. Just normal doors.

A2 went over and tried one of the doors. It wasn't locked so she turned the nob and opened it. She immediately jumped back and readied her sword, afraid of something jump out at her. What she saw inside was not anything she expected.

"What the hell is going on?" she breathed, her hand trembling. Inside the room…was her. Hundreds of her. Or at least her body. Or rather, her corpses. Scattered all across the ground were her lifeless corpses. Some had simple wounds like stabs to the chest or a hole in the head. Others were brutalized, missing a head or missing their lower torso.

"Pod?" A2 asked. She needed answers. What happened? Were these copies? Or did she die over and over again like 9S? But this was a machine tower. How were the machines involved?

"Unknown," 153 said in the same monotone voice. But even A2 had to admit that there was something about the way Pod said it that made it seem like even she was unsure what was happening.

A2 closed the door, trying to catch her breath.

What was happening? Was she even real? She knew she was a disposable test unit. But what was going on?

She immediately went to the next door and opened it. It was filled with more bodies. 9S bodies. Once again, dead from all sorts of injuries. Had this been any other day, she would have thought these were 2B's kills. But not after what she just saw.

Looking down, A2 noticed that some of the 9S's had…the wrong limbs. Several of them had 2B's gloved arm. Even the intact ones weren't in good shape.

She closed the door and went to the next one. This room was filled with 2B corpses. Like the 9S and A2 corpses, they died in all sorts of ways. Some clean. Others brutal. It seemed a few of them also had replacement limbs. Some with 9S's arm. Another one had both his legs. Some of them still had her visor. Others had their eyes revealed.

A2 slammed the door closed. She knew she wanted to see 2B's corpse but that was not what she meant.

One door left: a double door. A2 was not excited as she approached this one. What was left? Was this room filled with the corpses of her comrades? If these machine dared to desecrate their bodies like that, 2B be damned, she'll just tear down this tower with her bare hands.

Taking a breath, A2 burst into the room.

Ok, this wasn't as bad. She expected a room full of bodies. But this was a room full of books. Two floors tall, all the walls lined with shelves stuffed with books.

"What the hell is this?" she wondered aloud.

"This appears to be a library."

"And that is?"

"A library is a data-storage facility constructed by past human civilizations."

"Humans sure are weird creatures…"

A2 walked up to one of the shelves, pulling out a white book and opening it. It was just a quick skim, literally just doing nothing but turning pages. She was an android which meant she could read however quickly her processors recorded. So, any human watching her would think she was literally just flipping pages. But in moments she was recording and processing data on each page.

"Some data on YorHa androids," A2 muttered. "Wait a minute…" A2 stopped flipping for just a moment to make sure she read that right. "The machines…backed up the memories of androids?"

A2 knew that her ramblings and ravings about machines being simple savages was just her hatred of them speaking. She actually got along well with 9S's memories when it came to that regard. But she knew that machines were organized. Were coordinated. And were planning. Still…it didn't make sense why machines had backed up data on YorHa androids.

The book listed very detailed descriptions of each android backed up. The different YorHa units, their designation, a description of their personality, and the date when they were backed up. It seemed they were all backed up on the very same day.

A2 flipped the pages and soon found herself looking at identical descriptions…on resistance androids. All backed up on the same day as the YorHa.

"They could literally remake both the resistance and YorHa," A2 muttered to herself. "As long as they restore everyone's data at the same time, no one would even realize anything happened. How did the machines hack that deep into the system?"

A2 put the book back and went to the next shelf. She just randomly chose another book and skimmed again.

"A schematic on some sort of ark," A2 read. She put the book back before going to a random shelf and taking out another one.

"And just a history book. This is hopeless. There's too much data."

A2 tossed the book aside. But as she did so, a few of the words on the pages caught her attention.

Did she just see her name?

A2 looked over at the book she just discarded. She had just picked it out at random and skimmed it. But just what was this a book of?

"Operational History Volume 3," A2 read off the cover. She picked up the book, quickly browsing through the middle pages.

Attacker Model Number 2, took charge of the Pearl Harbor Descent after the death of its commanding officer. Only survivor. Blah, blah, blah. She knew this part.

YorHa Model Number 2 Type E. Executioner model. Was assigned the alias 2B to monitor YorHa Model Number 9 Type S. Knew that part too.

Unit 2B died during the fall of YorHa after getting infected by a logic virus. Was killed by A2…

Ok, that did not happen.

A2 was paying attention now.

After the death of 2B, 9S swore vengeance against both the machines and A2. The book also detailed very specific attacks plans to go after 9S's psyche. It listed very detailed weaknesses in his mind to exploit and how to exploit them.

9S possess strong feelings of both love and hate regarding 2B. Ok, A2 knew that since he made is VERY hard for her to forget. Increase both emotions until his mind…tears itself apart?

Force 9S to confront denial of his hatred of 2B by running a simulation of 2B taking his memories. Send his Operator 21O after him. Plan failed because 21O was killed by…A2? But this did increase 9S's hatred of A2 so it was not a complete failure? Attack him with 2B model androids.

Other probable attack plans. Reveal footage of 2B killing him. Reveal footage of his and 2B's intimacy in previous incarnations. Recreate scenario similar to the final moments of 2B and bar 9S from taking any action. Recreate scenario similar to the final moments of 2B and allow 9S to take action but 2B still dies despite any action.

Jeez, this was a book on torturing 9S to insanity.

What was this? When did this happen? And why?

A2…killed by 9S? When did that happen? 9S…impaled A2 but fell upon her sword in the process?

What the hell was going on?

Ark launched, clearing memory space on the network. Expanding to fill space?

200% more evolutionary data gathered?

Evolution successful…

YorHa Pods…disobeyed mission protocols and attempted to salvage the memory data of A2, 9S, and 2B.

Salvage attempt failed. Pod personality data deleted.

Further analysis of events required? New objective? Recreate events? Restoring backed up data on all resistance and YorHa androids?

A2 flipped further, and her breath was sucked out when she read the contents on one of the pages. It was a section on torturing HER. How to drive HER to insanity. According to the book when 9S cracked he was manic, laughing and cackling hysterically. But when they cracked her psyche, she practically became a feral animal. She didn't want to believe it, just dismiss this as machine bullshit. But thinking about it, if anything did torture her to insanity, she couldn't promise she wouldn't become the feral beast described.

She looked up when she heard a hauntingly familiar rumbling. It sounded like there was something in the walls. Something big.

A2 stashed the book. She was deep in enemy territory. She couldn't let herself get distracted. She'll kill 2B. Then she can take her time reading the book once she's safe. A2 spotted another set of double doors across the room. Only one other way out.

-.-

The doors to the next room opened, and 2B stepped in. She turned on the flashlight on her pod. The light from outside the room was adequate at first. But the doors closed and 2B was left with in the dark with nothing but her flashlight to illuminate the dim room.

This was it. This was the room where she was promised a special prize. So, what was it? Bomb? Assassin? More YorHa? What the hell could the machines throw at her? She's already faced everything. What could they possibly have that could be worse?

"Pod," 2B said. "Run a scan."

"Scanning. Multiple androids detected from above."

"From above…" 2B repeated. She was about to look up. But the androids came to her instead.

2B stared. She blinked. She shook her head. She had to be hallucinating.

"Nines…" she breathed, looking around her. There were dozens of copies of him standing around her. They all stared at her with a blank expression on their faces.

Where did they come from? How? Did the machines make them? Adam and Eve were both so android-like. Did they go to the trouble of making android-like machines in 9S's image? Did the machines harvest the 9S models from the Bunker before its destruction, his backup bodies? Or perhaps these were the reanimated corpses of her previous kills. The ones the retrieval team never found. She always wondered what happened to them. How poetic would it have been if the corpses of her victims all rose to take their revenge?

No. Not again. She could not be cursed to kill 9S again, not after he was dead. But the image before her wouldn't go away: a small army of 9S models. She would not only have to kill him again, but at least forty more times. And not in a span of months or week. But all of them within minutes.

This nightmare was even worse than the nightmare of the bunker. It was the worst parts of her life condensed into a few minutes.

21O. Anemone. Devola. Popola. Pascal. 2B killed all of them to bring humanity back. But she never imagined she'd have to kill 9S again.

Her hand trembled. She couldn't bring herself to raise her sword.

"No…" she said, her weapon dematerializing. "I can't…I won't…"

It seemed the 9S's heard this. They finally reacted. One ran up to her and struck her across the face. Not with a sword but with a fist. He punched her, causing her to stumble backwards.

As they converged on her, 2B leapt past them. She had to get out. She had to make it to the other door and escape. But when she did, the door would not open. It didn't open on her approach. It didn't open as she tried to pry it with her fingers. And it didn't open when she tried to pry it with her sword.

She was trapped.

She turned around to see the ghosts of her past catch up to her. One ran up to her and kicked her in the gut, making her keel over. Another kicked the back of her legs and she fell to her knees, letting one kick her in the face and send her tumbling across the floor. Another ran up and slammed her head against the wall. Another 9S model then stomped her head into the wall.

Each strike sent shockwaves across her body; her vision clouded with static as pain shot through her. Her ears were ringing. Her balance was off, and her body felt like it was being barraged by clubs pounding her flesh.

They weren't trying to kill her. They were trying to brutalize her. She would either have to kill them or take this.

Fine. She'll take it. She'll let them torture her for however long they want. She'd rather lay down and accept the torture than kill him again. 9S will finally get what he was owed. And she'll get what she deserves. She couldn't bring herself to fight anyways.

"I can't…" 2B muttered. They continued thrashing her. They beat her. They punched her. They kicked her. And she didn't fight back. She knew what it meant if she did. She would have to kill 9S again. She couldn't bring herself to do it. She won't deny him his revenge.

She cried out in pain when another grabbed her by the hair and dragged her across the floor. She kicked and flailed at 9S's hand, trying to ease the pressure on her scalp. One took advantage of her position to kick her in the stomach again before the one dragging her tossed her to the center of the room.

She hit the floor with a clatter. She was battered and her hair felt like it was moments from getting ripped off. But she still couldn't bring herself to fight back.

"I won't…" 2B said as another model stood in front of her. He kicked her in the face, and she landed flat on her back.

Five 9S models surrounded her. Finally, they materialized swords in their hands. They'll finally deliver the justice she deserved. They'll finally end it.

"I…" 2B muttered. She still saw static from all the impacts she just suffered. The five 9S's raised their swords.

'Next time…don't hesitate to kill me. Because we…will meet again.'

'I promise you that I won't hesitate to kill you. The next time, or the time after that. Not because of my mission but because that's what you wanted. To grant your wish of meeting again…I'll kill you.'

As they brought their swords down all their bodies split in half, perfectly severed around the midsection. Between all of them was 2B. She was on one knee, her sword in hand dripping with the blood of the five she had sliced in half.

"No," she muttered. She got up, brandishing Virtuous Contract. All the 9S's had materialized swords, but they all hesitated when 2B had pulled out her own and got up.

"I can't die. I won't. Not here. Not yet. If I die here, then all the suffering I caused will be for nothing. Anemone will have died for nothing. Pascal will have died for nothing. Devola and Popola will have died for nothing. 6O will have died for nothing. 21O will have died for nothing. 9S will have died for nothing. I WILL destroy this tower. I WILL save the humans on the moon. I WILL bring the humans back. And I WILL fulfill my promise to 9S. Because I promised 9S…I promised…I PROMISED THAT I WOULDN'T HESITATE TO KILL HIM!"

To say she hated herself for what she did next would be a gross understatement. She pitied the flesh that she occupied.

She ordered her Pod to begin dropping bombs. And on command, 042 began spitting out bombs that filled the room with great golden explosions. The bombs wiped out countless 9S's. She could see his body parts flying. Severed heads. Severed arms. Severed Legs. They all went flying everywhere in fountains of blood and ash.

And the ones that charged in close were effortlessly cut down. 9S was a scanner. He was not built for combat. And it didn't seem these ones could hack which meant they lost the one thing that could make them dangerous. This made them easy pickings as she tore through the 9S models.

She parried the sword strikes with ease, the counterattack cleaving the head off of one 9S model. Another 9S tried to telekinetically slice her with his sword, so she knocked it out of the hair before flinging her spear into his head. A 9S model lunged at her so she used his momentum to fling him to the ground. Another tried to run her through from behind but she sidestepped and tossed him onto the first one. A third one leapt up into the air to take her head off, but she took his leg and sent him into the stack. Finally she brought her large sword down and cut all three of them in half with one hack.

Destruction of the head…

Destruction of the chest…

Perhaps the most torturous part was not what she saw. But what she heard. She heard 9S scream. The machines didn't just bring back his body. They brought back his voice.

He screamed in agony as she blew him up.

He screamed in agony as she cut him down.

He screamed in agony as she chopped him up.

"2B, why?"

"Stop, 2B."

"It hurts. You're hurting me."

"Please don't do this."

"What are you doing?"

"I don't want to die, 2B!"

"2B, wait! Please!"

2B screamed with very slash, trying to drown out the sounds of 9S screaming, the sounds of him begging her not to kill him again. Without his hacking, she was slaughtering them.

Butcher…

2B lost her footing when she went in for the attack, falling on top of the last 9S model. She had managed to knock his sword out of his hand, but her sword went clattering with it. The room was a mess, the bombs having torn apart the floor and knocked over several columns. The floors and walls were slick with 9S's blood and his corpses were strewn across the floor.

She grabbed a large brick off the ground with both her hands, raising it above her head before smashing the head of the 9S model below her.

This was not 9S. This was a thing. A thing that dared to wear his face. Dare to use his voice. Dare to mock him even after death. This thing, this tool, this puppet, it didn't deserve his face, his voice, his body. She was going to remove all of it. So she lifted the brick back up before smashing it back down on the head of the 9S beneath her.

"You're not 9S!" she screamed.

She brought the brick down again.

"You're not Nines!"

And again…

"You're not him!"

And again…

"YOU'RE NOTHING!"

And one final time…

She was still heaving, still struggling to catch her breath. Her hands trembled. She could feel 9S's blood soaking through her gloves. She had to remind herself that these weren't 9S. 9S was dead. This was the enemy desecrating his body and memories. But having to go through that wasn't any easier. If it wasn't for her mission, she would have gladly just lay down and let the 9S's torture her for however long they pleased. She could not believe she managed to bring herself to kill him again. She couldn't stop shaking.

But she had to do it. The only thing worse than killing him was for it all to be for nothing. If she had her way, she would gladly just take 9S's torturing her. But she had a mission to complete. She had to win the war and bring humanity back to Earth.

Shifting rubble made 2B turn around. It seemed she missed a 9S. He stood there, his sword ready. But he was trembling like he was scared.

2B wanted to be angry at the blatant manipulation, clearly trying to invoke memories of when she executed him.

As she rose to her feet, she watched the final 9S turn around and run away. She'll let this one go. She only killed these fake 9S's because she had to. If she could go on without seeing 9S die again, she'll take it.

The final 9S had just made it to the other end of the room when a sharp piercing sound split the air. 2B looked up, watching a sword burst through 9S.

She knew this wasn't him. This was a fake. Yet, that scene was all too real. And all too familiar. It didn't matter if it was a fake or not. Seeing him perforated like that was like a stab to her own heart and in that instant, her own panic took over.

"NINES!" she screamed, reaching her arm out. She heaved heavy breaths, her body shaking. It wasn't just watching 9S die again. It was how he died. His back toward her, a sword inserted through his chest so it went out the other end. And once again, holding the blade was-

"A2," 2B seethed. A2 shoved 9S off her sword when she looked up. And when she saw 2B, her eyes went red with fury.

A2 also noticed the graveyard of 9S's. And she scoffed.

-.-

The two women glared at each other, swords in hand and ready to cut the other down.

She was going to kill her. This was the moment. She could finally make her pay.

2B rose off the floor, sword in hand. A2 materialized a second sword, a Type-4O sword. But before either of them could do anything, the room was suddenly split in half.

2B let out a cry as the floor beneath her gave way and she plummeted into the darkness.

-,-

A2 cursed under her breath. She saw 2B. But instead of running in and cutting 2B down, A2 froze. She was an idiot. Why didn't she just cut 2B down? What was that weird worm in the back of her mind that just decided to conveniently slither up and freeze her in place?

"Where'd she go?!" A2 demanded to know after 2B was seemingly swallowed by the floor.

"Analysis: Unit 2B is still alive."

Good. So, she could still find and hunt 2B down. But for now, A2 had her own problems. A giant worm had burst out of the floor. It looked like one of those linked-sphere worms but these spheres were massive. And each sphere was damaged and twisted like the machines infected with the logic virus.

"Analysis," 153 said. "This is the same machine lifeform Unit A2 has previously encountered in the desert."

"Yeah, I picked up on that," A2 snapped. She hated seeing those infected faces. It reminded her of Pascal's village, watching the villagers she protected and cared for start to eat each other.

But there was something else about this machine.

Laughter?

There was a deep booming laugh emanating from the giant worm.

"Good to see you again, Number Two!" the voice boomed. A2 looked up. This wasn't the little girls' voice. This was a deep booming voice. "YorHa Attacker Number 2. Or should we call you A2 now? Welcome back to The Tower."

"Who are you?" A2 growled. The worm wasn't attacking. It was like it was waiting for the voice to finish.

"I must admit, you proved more dangerous than anticipated. But keeping you alive proved to be the right decision. You came close to destroying all of us, using our learning algorithm against us, but I survived and gathered enough data to evolve once more."

A2 had no idea what this disembodied voice was talking about. The only two thing's she's been killing were machines and executioner androids.

"But you have come far enough," the voice said. "Finish her."

The worm reared back and roared before lunging at A2.

-.-

2B opened her eyes. She could barely move. Between the beating she took from 9S and her fall, her body was still recovering. It only took her a moment to use a recovery module to flood her body with more nano bots to hasten the repairs. She had to keep going.

But when she opened her eyes, she saw a 9S corpse laying next to her. He looked so peaceful, his visor off and his eyes closed.

God, she missed him…

Missed his voice…

Missed his random outbursts…

She reached out to stroke his cheek, but she pulled back. She didn't deserve any comfort. Least of all from him. He was dead because of her. She wanted to feel his face. But would he even want the touch of her hand?

2B got up, looking around. She had fallen through the floor and tumbled into an adjacent room. If she broke through the debris, she could then go back through the ceiling and return to the room A2 was in. If

"Pod," 2B said. "Prepare laser and fire at will."

"Inadvisable. Even at maximum power, the laser will not be able to breach the barricade in any efficient period of time."

"Shut up and do as I say," 2B ordered. She pointed at the rubble. And the pod opened its body before firing a blinding white beam at the wall. Ash shot out of the hole, the laser drilling into the rubble. And it did work for a bit. But the rubble quickly came down and filled in the hole.

Well, she had to try. But she then remembered that A2 was not her primary objective.

"Guess it doesn't matter anyways," 2B said. "There are more important things at stake. I need to find a way to shut off the tower." She turned around and walked away, taking only one last glance at 9S. Her mind was in a fog. She wanted to kill A2 more than anything right now. She would do anything to see it happen. Anything. Let her be tortured by the 9S's for the next decade. For the next eternity. Take her limbs. Take her life after. But she wanted A2 to die by her hands.

But she was a soldier, and she had a mission. She had to put others before herself. She had to save humanity before she can indulge in her revenge. All she could do was hope that collapsing this tower would bury A2.

The nano bots were finally making progress and she could walk without limping. She made her way to the next room, a giant square platform floating in the middle of nowhere, attached to a wall with a door.

2B stepped onto the platform, looking out over the edge. This tower certainly seemed to waste a lot of space.

She headed for the door to proceed with her mission. But…

"YORHA UNIT 2B!"

"YORHA UNIT 2B!"

"WELCOME BACK TO THE TOWER!"

"WELCOME BACK TO THE TOWER!"

"BECAUSE YOU MADE IT THIS FAR, WE HAVE A SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT JUST FOR YOU!"

-.-

A/N: Yup. If you remember the sequence of events in game, you know exactly what's coming next for 2B. Place your bets. How well will 2B take the truth?

One of the earlier ideas for the Soul Box was to have her be forced to face off against 9S and have her face the prospect of killing him again. But I scrapped that idea since she was going to fight 9S anyways in the Tower. It's also another reason I felt 2B had more to lose if she was the one to survive. She thought she was free fro killing 9S. She was wrong.

I've also been referencing how things seem to feel familiar or how 2B seems to just feel stuff from the game. So as you can see, the stuff from the game has happened in the past. I decided to do this to...torture 2B even further. To twist the knife you could say. You'll see what I mean next chapter.

The decision to kill Pascal was made after I listened to this one youtube video analyzing the mission. He says that if anyone loves Pascal that they should kill him because Pascal would rather die than do what he's doing. And frankly I thought that was an interesting way to view things. I don't know about you but every let's play I've seen and even in my own game I always end up erasing Pascal's memories. It certainly brings up the question of dying as yourself or living as something you hate. And by this point 2B is starting to accept the idea she just kills everyone so even if there were other options her mind goes immediately to killing.

Also, as you can see, A2's 9S is starting to show.