A/N: I...did not expect to update this so fast. I have no other notes to provide at this time. I hope you guys will enjoy the second chapter of this story. Best wishes and God bless you all!

Disclaimer: NieR: Automata is the property of Square Enix, Platinum Games, Yoko Taro, and everyone else affiliated with the production of this title. Please support the official release. This is merely a Fanfiction.

Warnings: This is an alternate take on the ending of Route C in the game, so if you haven't played the game...there'll be spoilers. Additionally, A2 is kinda depressed, and in terms of writing this story may not be as polished as some of my other NieR: Automata stories. I just gotta get this madness out of my system. XD Lol. Enjoy the chapter!


"Unit A2 is now operational."

My eyes burst open to blinding sunlight.

"Gah!"

Footsteps rush toward my side, disorienting me further.

"Back up! Give her space."

Anemone's voice...

"What's going on?" I ask immediately, squeezing my eyes shut for a couple seconds before opening them again to glance at the resistance androids surrounding me. Most of them have backed up several paces due to Anemone's order, but it isn't enough for me to see anything beyond the maintenance area of the resistance camp.

Anemone breaks through the small crowd, barking another order for everyone to get back to their duties as she swiftly takes a seat on a metal stool near my bedside. Several resistance members murmur quiet complaints, but no one defies her command. Within seconds the maintenance area is left empty and quiet save for the hum of the equipment surrounding us.

Inhaling shakily, I start to rise up from the cot only for Anemone to immediately take hold of my shoulders.

"It's probably best if you don't try to move too much yet," she murmurs as a form of explanation, withdrawing her hands after a moment. "Without Devola and Popola around, repairs for you and 9S have been slow going..."

My mind buzzed at the sound of his name.

"Where is he?"

Anemone points to my left. Sure enough, 9S lies in rest mode along a cot a few feet away from mine.

"How...how long have we been here?"

Anemone lets out a soft sigh. "About two weeks. When Devola and Popola left camp without a word, I...got concerned. Following after them led me to that strange tower. They...told me you'd just gone inside. The place was falling apart by the time I spotted 2B's pod carrying 9S out.

"So then...you rescued me?"

She nods. "I spent years thinking I was the only survivor." There's a break in her speech, and her serene expression twists into a grimace full of anguish.

"Those memories...are a heavy burden, perhaps too heavy for anyone to carry alone."

A hollow sigh slips out of my mouth. The sound serves as a question, one Anemone can easily understand.

"Our comrades wanted us to live," she continues, closing her eyes for a brief instant. "YoRHa is gone. You don't have anything to run from anymore, so...this is your opportunity to make peace with the past in a way that doesn't end in death."

Clenching my hand against my lap, I look directly at Anemone's face, challenging her with my fiercest glare.

She doesn't even flinch.

"I know it wasn't my decision to make, but..." she trails off for a beat, her confident demeanor faltering a little. "I couldn't just stand by and watch. Too many lives have been lost in this war. Now that it's over...I want to preserve as many lives as I can."

There was nothing I could say in response to the explanation. Anemone's reasoning made sense, even if I wasn't the biggest fan of this result. There's no point in holding it against her.

So, instead of responding with any arguments, I shift my attention to 9S again.

"Is he...will he..."

The words fade on my tongue.

Anemone offers a kind smile. "We're still working on repairing his left arm. Those pods of yours have been extremely helpful in gathering useful materials for maintenance efforts. They can't do much in terms of actual repairs, but their knowledge on YoRHa models was invaluable for getting you two functional again."

With slow movements, I swing my legs over the side of the cot, testing their strength. The joints in my knees feel a little shaky, but walking short distances wouldn't be a problem.

"Number 2..."

"I'm...alright, Anemone," I say stiffly, standing up slowly. "Thank you. For everything."

"..."

"What?"

"Nothing, it's just..." Anemone shakes her head. "You're... just a little different now is all."

Shrugging is the only response I can give to her words. With 2B's memories still in my head...I guess I am different.

"Well, I'd recommend not walking around too much." Rising up from her seat, she adds, "We haven't finished fixing up the joints in your knees and ankles. They'll seize up if you aren't careful, so try to take it easy."

I give her a nod, having noticed the thin pricks of pain shooting through both my ankles. This isn't the first time I've wanted to kick off the heels and run around barefoot for the rest of my life, and it won't the the last. The footwear melded into my skin ages ago, so there's no getting rid of them.

Besides, even if I could...it would feel like I'd hacked off another piece of myself.

"I'll just have to deal with the pain...as always. Tch."

"You're welcome to stay here as long as you need," Anemone finishes, dragging me out of my thoughts as she moves toward the maintenance area's exit. "Try not to worry about 9S too much either, okay. The pods have assured us that he'll make a full recovery in due time."

Anemone leaves after that, not expecting a response from me. I'm grateful for her understanding.

But she was wrong about me not having anything to run away from.

Moving tentatively, I walk the short gap between my cot and 9S' in order to examine him myself. The Scanner was in an unconscious state, just as he had been the last time I saw him within the hacking space. However, the scuff marks from burns along his synthetic skin have been treated and cleaned. When my eyes travel to his left arm, I see a metal base for where the new arm will go once all the parts for the appendage are assembled. Several wires have already been connected through the artificial bone structure. Woven between the wires are thin, clear tubes designed to hold the blood-like coolant his black box will pump to the new arm once its fully operational.

Even so, for all the progress made, 9S' resting expression is full of exhaustion and despair.

From that alone, I know nothing has changed within him. The logic virus may be gone, but the rage and loneliness he experienced as a result of my killing 2B is still there. Losing her...destroyed him in so many ways.

I can't bring her back to him. I wish I could.

His lips twitch, and a low groan of pain escapes from his mouth.

The sound draws up emotions that are foreign for me.

"Do these feelings belong to 2B as well or..."

Pivoting on my heel, I look for the sword she passed over to me. As far as I can tell, Virtuous Contract isn't here in the maintenance area, and I don't have enough strength in my legs to walk around camp asking whether anyone recovered the weapon. Just standing is beginning to exhaust me.

"What a pain..."

And it really was a pain. Just when I thought my endless days of struggle were over...someone saw fit to deliver me from death yet again.

It was the same with Number 4...except her efforts came with a steep price. Her life.

I guess the only real difference between then and now is that I wasn't ready to die then.

But in that tower I...

...

"What am I even supposed to do now?"

As if to answer the question ringing in my head, another low groan escapes from 9S, his features contorting in discomfort.

My hand immediately moves to grasp his. The motion happens before my mind can catch up to register it, leaving me woefully unprepared for the warmth that seeps into my skin through the worn fabric of my gloves. When my fingers slip through the spaces between his, 9S' expression immediately changes, but...

In horror I watch liquid escape from beneath his eyelids to roll down his cheeks.

His mouth moves again...

"2...B...?"

A horrible ache registers in my black box cavity, and with a shaky gasp I extract my hand from his.

"What am I doing?"

Taking shaky steps, I turn away from 9S only to see his pod hovering less than two feet away from my face.

"Aaah! Don't sneak up behind me like that!"

The black and red Pod merely floats before me without uttering a word. I guess this one isn't as chatty as 2B's Pod. Speaking of which, where is 042 anyway...

"Query: What are Unit A2's intentions regarding Unit 9S?"

I stand corrected.

With a low moan, I carefully make my way back to my own cot to sit down. 9S' Pod follows me, its fans buzzing noisily the whole time.

"Query: What are Unit A2's intentions regarding Unit 9S?"

"Aren't you supposed to wait 30 seconds for me to respond before..."

"What are Unit A2's intentions regarding Unit 9S?"

I glare at the annoying pod. "Piss off, will ya!"

"Negative," the pod replies. "This Pod's primary objective is to safeguard and offer support to YoRHa Unit 9S. Based on intel from Pod 042, Unit 2B requested her execution from Unit A2. However, Unit 9S' mental state went through a rapid decline after witnessing this event."

"Yeah, I know. You don't have to remind me."

"A communication error occurred between Unit 9S and Unit A2," the pod drones on, ignoring the death glare I give it. "Unit A2 never relayed 2B's final wish to Unit 9S."

A bitter laugh slips out of my mouth. "If you knew the truth, why didn't you say anything to him about it?"

The pod was silent for a moment.

"You have a point there," it moans, sounding far more expressive now. "However, we pods are not optimized for personal matters between our assigned Units."

"A pretty convenient excuse if you ask me," I mutter, crossing my arms in front of my chest.

"Perhaps," the pod admits, its mechanical arms waving up and down as it speaks. "But Unit 9S established his intentions regarding machine lifeforms and Unit A2. His campaign through the resource recovery units and the tower itself was a self-imposed suicide mission. As a tactical support unit, I do not have authorization to perform actions contrary to his commands. Additionally, seeing as the matter was a personal one between Units 9S and A2...it was not my place to relay the information."

"It's not like it would have made a difference either way," I think, releasing a sigh. "What are you getting at? Just spit it out already."

There's a short pause and then...

"This pod finds Unit A2...puzzling."

"Is that all?"

"Negative," the pod states, hovering directly in front of me now. "This Pod...is grateful to Unit A2...for saving 9S."

"Antagonizing me isn't a great way to show gratitude," I moan, lying down against the cot out of pure exhaustion. "Seriously, are all Pods this chatty?"

"Unit 9S' mental state is still unstable," the pod continues, ignoring my words entirely. "Unit A2's presence will surely upset him upon reactivation. This Pod...does not want to see Unit 9S suffer. This Pod is...concerned."

Throwing my right arm over my eyes, the only response I can give is another groan.

"Query: What are Unit A2's intentions concerning Unit 9S?"

Offering up a sigh to the heavens, I force out an answer.

"My only plan right now is to finish recovering," I say, moving my arm away from my face in order to stare up at the sky. "I'll leave once my body is stable enough for travel. 9S won't see me again if I can help it. Happy now!?"

The pod doesn't answer for a very long time, leaving me in blissful silence. My internal systems are begging me to go back into rest mode, and I'm just about to sink into the sensation when the feminine monotone erupts through the space once more, shaking me with its words.

"Happiness is a foreign concept to tactical support units," it says. "Furthermore, this Pod is not sure if Unit A2's current plan will lead to positive results for Unit 9S."

Too tired to respond, I pretend as if I'm fully immersed in rest mode. Eventually, the hum of the pod's ventilators drifts further and further away, leaving me alone to untangle my thoughts.

Oddly enough, 9S takes up the bulk of them.

"Why did I try to comfort him? There aren't any good feelings between us."

For a brief instant, warmth shoots through my hand again.

"How much longer can I stand it? How much longer can I..."

Biting down on my lip, I chase those thoughts away.

"It's not my responsibility to babysit, 9S," I conclude somberly, allowing my body to sink deeper into the quiet. "I'll disappear from here before he wakes up."

But I can't help but wonder what happens after that point. Where will I go? What will I do now that the war with machines is over? What do I have left to fight for? What do I have left to live for?

...

Those are questions for a different time.

I'm in a place where it's safe to rest for now. I better take advantage of it while I can.


A/N: And that's the end of this chapter. What will come next? I guess we'll discover that together in the next chapter. Many thanks to all of you who have read this work thus far. Best wishes and God bless you all!

Extra Note: Also, if any of you get antsy waiting for updates on any of my NieR stories, please feel free to stop by my YouTube channel, Lillymu961. I have some NieR content there, including a series in which I ramble about all of Automata's music. Additionally, I have started work on a project examine how certain BTS songs fit into the narrative of NieR: Automata. (Given how BTS songs are often big components of what inspire events of my Automata stories...you guys might find that content interesting.) Many thanks in advance if you guys choose to check out the channel. Best wishes and God bless you all!