When you first see her, you are convinced that this 2B person somehow is the old Number 2 you knew. The resemblance is exactly the same, you wouldn't be able to tell a difference if it wasn't for the dress, it's not hers, still elegant but more open in multiple places.
Still you unconsciously let her name escape your lips. Thankfully none of the two androids standing before you seem to catch anything strange, or if they do they don't ask.
Soon they're out of your way, and you're left with your thoughts.
That woman has unconsciously awakened and shot down the hope that at least someone, anyone, of your old group had survived in just a few seconds.
Admittedly, Number 2 wasn't the closest of the YoRHa androids to you, but still you wouldn't know what you'd give to know if after all these years you didn't find yourself alone to bear the burden to remember.
This isn't the case however.
Long ago, when you still weren't the current Resistance Leader, you had returned to that mountain, that actually wasn't a mountain anymore, just an enormous pile of ashes and destruction.
Whatever set the explosion off in the server room, had destroyed everything.
You looked and looked for days, weeks, months even. But nothing, no signs of any of your comrades anywhere, neither your friends of the Resistance, the ones you had run away with, guided from Rose, and neither any of the YoRHa girls you had believed were worth nothing at the beginning, but ended up giving everything for.
You hadn't known what happened to any of them but one, Number 21…
After all, it had been you that put a bullet in her head. A mercy kill she begged you to grant her, before the virus took her away for good.
A plea to die as herself, instead of the mindless monster that the logic virus turns androids into.
You had promised her to join her soon, and yet, here you are still…
Too much of a coward to take your own life, too strong to die at the hands of the machines.
To her and everyone else you made another promise, the promise to kill any machine that gets in your way, because those damn things took everything you had from you, so it is only fair you'll take all from them too.
Time passed, and the more it did, the easier it became to recognize 2B as her own person, and not as who you once knew, even though it is hard to look at her face sometimes, and not call her Number 2 again. After all, they still look the same.
You feel that her presence was sent here from the YoRHa Commander to torment you, sometimes you wonder if it was true, and if somehow that woman knew you'd been involved with the mission of Mount Ka'ala, and the old squadron she'd sent to die without any regards.
For the sake of the Resistance, you formed an alliance with YoRHa, but suffice to say, you don't like their Commander one bit. You so much would want to scream at her and make her pay for what she had done, for how she had abandoned her soldiers on Earth and used them as weapons for whatever she had in mind.
They hadn't even been worthy of having an actual name. At least Rose had given them all one, and you wish they had survived long enough to receive their own as well.
They deserved more than just a mere letter and a number.
But it seemed that nothing changed since then, even the new soldiers don't have actual human names either, probably they're just as worthless to their Commander as the first ones were.
Maybe one day, if this would ever be over and if you are still alive you'd be able to demand why she sacrificed the YoRHa girls without resentment, while despite how cruel she's been to them, they still held hope in their Commanding officer.
The only one that had ever expressed something contrary had been Number 16, guess that maybe one day she could attempt to grant her wish to "kick the Commander's ass." Those had been the last words you heard her say.
You feel that would be great.
With time you start to observe, and notice different things about 2B that the old Number 2 didn't show. 2B is almost too cold and serious, nothing like Number 2 was, sometimes it almost looks like she doesn't seem to even care about her companion with the way she distances herself from him, or tries to.
But you don't know their story, so it would be best not to judge.
The old Number 2 you knew was shy and timid, put in a role of captain that she was not qualified for, but despite everything, she was brave in her own way, believing in a future all of them, including her own teammates had given up on.
She'd given everyone hope without realizing it.
The girl wore her heart on her sleeve, always so full of emotions, and love for the people around her, for her friends and family. Even for you.
You and her were never close, but you didn't hold anything against her, she did the best she could being put in an impossible situation to get out from. It had been clear that their Commander intended for them all to die, and yet, she still believed.
And made all of them believe in something concrete too, after years and years of fighting and getting no results.
Time passes, one day, the local YoRHa duo comes back to you from a trip in the Forest Kingdom, and whatever you have in your chest that could be considered a heart skips a beat.
They show you someone, she goes by the name of A2, she looks so different, she doesn't even have clothes anymore, her chassis is so old, dirty, ruined and damaged. You feel her eyes staring at you even if it was just a footage, she looks hardened from these years, no longer the timid android you knew, there's an immense sadness mixed with silent anger in her blue eyes, hidden from a long curtain of white hair, they'd grown so long.
But you know it's her, it's Number 2, and she's alive…
You feel your metaphorical blood boil as you get to know that she's wanted by YoRHa for desertion, because you know the truth, she never deserted, that was another of their Commander's excuses.
Feigning ignorance, you don't tell a thing to 2B and 9S. You'd rather be silent to not put her even further in danger.
Inwardly, you don't know how to feel, you're happy, almost ecstatic that someone survived with you, and on another side, you're incredibly sad and furious for whatever she must have endured during these years from the hands of the very same people that created her.
As if being assigned an impossible task and losing every person dear to her in the process hadn't been enough already, she had to fend off other androids coming for her head when she was nothing but innocent.
Her only crime had been to survive…
And she had to defend herself all the time all alone too, because you had given up searching…
Clenching your fist, you desperately search for a way to aid her, to let her know she's not alone, that she can come here if she wishes... that you will protect her should it cost your life.
You contemplate trying looking for her, but if you haven't found traces of her during these years, probably she doesn't want to be found, and besides, you're not as strong as a YoRHa, and you don't want to be a liability to her.
Or worse, have her watch them take you away from her too. She already has no one else but you in this world, so better make sure she doesn't lose you too, hoping with all your might that wherever she is she'll be safe.
The best idea that comes to your mind is to set up a supply camp in the forest area, so she can have access to supplies for her survival easily.
Yes, that would be great.
As you make mental notes and instruct your soldiers to start preparations, you think of a way to let her know that you're still here too and that you're on her side, and haven't forgotten her nor any of your fallen friends.
Your eyes fall on a piece of paper on your desk.
You can leave a message that only she can understand.
It is a simple thing, you just tell her that she's not alone, scribbling a flower next to those few words, that flower that you've been given as your name, hoping she'll be able to tell it's you.
You're not very good at drawing.
Still, holding the thing to your heart, you wait for the camp to be ready first, you don't want anyone to lose this or ask questions you don't want asked, you want to take it there yourself.
It takes a few days, but finally you take that trip to the forest, alone.
As you leave the little letter on a box, you feel eyes on you, someone is watching, not a machine though as nothing attacks you. You have an idea on who it might be, though you know and she knows too it is not safe for you two to meet, not yet.
More time passes since then, and you still hope it was her watching you that time.
You're almost incredulous when this ragged android walks in the camp, now free to do so because YoRHa has fallen. She cut her hair you notice, and she's even more recognizable than before.
It doesn't matter if everyone is watching you and you're in the middle of the camp, you share a long embrace, despite neither of you two being too accustomed to this kind of contact, her more than you.
But as you hold her you just hope to not have to let her go too soon.
She's very different from back then, she's grown cold and resentful, but upon knowing, even if just a little of what happened to her, it is a miracle she hasn't snapped entirely, you think. You don't like the way she looks at you either, she keeps distance, afraid, unsure, as if you'd hurt her too.
You wouldn't, never, she's all you have left.
Your eyes lay upon the weapons she carries on her back, the white swords 2B carried, though you know the smaller one was Number 2's own from the very beginning. You tell her of her clone, she shuts you down immediately, 2B is dead, and Number 2 gave her a mercy kill because she was infected.
Something pulls at your heart, once more remembering the shadow of Number 21's last smile as you did just the same thing back then.
You offer Number 2 your support, letting her know you're here for her now, and that she can stay at camp as much as she wants. She ain't happy of the alliance you formed with Pascal, but with time she would understand, once she too knew him better.
The next months are spent between her and having to guard her from meeting 9S, the poor boy is mad and furious at Number 2, but Anemone wouldn't dare to lead her into a dangerous situation, so with the help of the peaceful machine they work together to make sure they don't meet.
Possibly ever.
But you don't know what could happen once they are both away from the camp or the village, and you're afraid for them both.
At a certain point you don't even hear from Pascal anymore, you know something had happened to him when you watched Number 2 bolt in the direction of the small village. But your duties don't allow you to leave the camp.
You don't see her anymore either since then, and neither 9S, the twins leave you as well, but you know just what happened once you witness that giant white tower that had appeared out of nowhere crumble to pieces and fall.
They must have been there, and whatever they did, sent the machines dropping dead.
It was over, over for real.
But this time, dead or alive, you swore you wouldn't abandon your old companion, as you search for Number 2 in the rubble for days.
Once again, you find nothing, not a trace of anyone but the two twins, that you personally took and buried them with the utmost respect, because even if it would have been you asking, no one else of the Resistance would have given them any kind treatment, even in death.
You spend so long in the remains of the tower that you could say you've taken residence in there, there was only white clouding your vision for weeks.
Laying down on a mass of white, you stare at the sky, your hand reaches for your gun, the symbol of the unkempt promise you made to Number 21 long ago. It is obvious that Number 2 was finally with them too now, and you wonder if it'd be time to keep your word, now that there's nothing left to stop you from doing so.
That there's nothing and no one left to fight for.
It is in that moment that someone interrupts you, just as you load the weapon, and upon laying your eyes on them, you think your mind is playing tricks on you.
Before you there is 9S and… 2B. The woman everyone thought to be dead.
They aren't wearing visors, but it is them, you're sure.
You ask them how they're alive still, and they explain it was their Pods, they desperately wished to save them.
And what about Number 2 then?
2B seems to sense your trouble, and as if she'd been reading your mind, she leaves her Pod with you, and the thing instructs you to follow along to who knows where.
You watch them head to camp as you follow the floating thing. It leads you to a really tall building, but you swear you can see something within one of the broken windows.
You climb inside the building with the help of 2B's Pod towards that figure, and once you arrive she is there, it's Number 2, she has her long hair again, and she's blissfully in a deep sleep propped against the window frame, with one leg outside, looking like she could fall at any moment.
She'd deactivated, but alive nonetheless.
Your black box skips a few beats as you walk towards her, taking her in your arms. Pod offers its help but you deny, you want to be the one to take her back to camp, to safety.
Besides, even if you're old, she's hardly any heavy, because of all the components she lost during these years.
The eyes of all the androids, including the two YoRHas are upon you as you walk back in the camp with Number 2 in your arms, still asleep. 2B looks at you and nods, you have the feeling that she intended you to find Number 2, while with much surprise 9S doesn't look at you with disdain, but more with understanding in his eyes.
Though neither says a thing.
You take Number 2 to your room, away from prying eyes, so she can awaken in peace with the sole presence of someone she can trust.
It takes a few hours, but her blue eyes finally open again, she's startled and confused, but your presence calms her down. She thought she'd died, and you don't quite know how to respond, you too don't know what happened after all.
But you're happy she's here, as you wrap her in a warm embrace, even though neither of you has any warmth it feels that way.
You dare to leave a kiss to her forehead, promising that whatever the future would bring, you'd be here for her.
She kisses you too, on your lips this time.
"Thank you."
