Nier Automata Fan Fiction
Reprise
By Kraven Ergeist
Recursion 13
C/W: Rating has been increased to M for mature content.
"Big Brother…big brother…"
It hadn't taken long for the three androids to fall into a routine for every new recursion. For lack of a better goal, the objective had once again resolved into playing out the timeline as close to the original as possible, within the bounds of preventing any losses that would reset the time loop. After each additional attempt, the team had decided to streamline their strategies for each mission in order to ease the process. The first instance of this was for the factory mission, in which 9S would abandon his flight unit in favor of riding along with 2B while he hacked the goliath, which allowed 2B to retreat with his body to a safe distance while he overloaded the massive machine. This eliminated the need to rendezvous with A2 in order to complete the mission, as well as the need for any subterfuge with YoRHa command. Methods such as this, which were simple, low risk, and repeatable took priority, and in general, the fewer steps that were involved, the better.
9S still had mixed feelings about continuing to destroy the machines given all that he'd learned. The general feeling from the other two still seemed to be to treat every other being in the simulation as artificial (and therefor irrelevant) until proven otherwise, but 9S had his doubts. 2B in particular hadn't seemed terribly adamant about this stance. And no matter how vehemently A2 insisted that each new recursion essentially wiped the slate clean and absolved them of any responsibility, it did little to dull the memories of each kill they made time after time.
"Sorry…" his words echoed again through the goliath's superstructure before it self-destructed.
After the factory mission, the two of them invariably convened with A2 at the Resistance camp to strategize and compare notes. Since their next big mission had been boiled down to sending their old combat data back to YoRHa command, they typically took this period of free time to rest and recuperate. That said, with A2 tagging along, and the spare room at the camp not being made available to them until later on, there had not yet been any real opportunities for 2B and 9S to spend much time together with any privacy since their last heart-to-heart. It was clear from the various stolen glances and whispered words exchanged between them that there was still much left to discuss about what the future had in store for them. But it was also clear that both of them preferred to keep any personal discussions they might have private from A2. For as friendly as they had all become over the course of this time loop, neither of them had been terribly comfortable with the degree to which A2 had been meddling in their personal affairs.
It was also equally clear to the both of them that the mission still came first. And it seemed that in response to the androids' dogged determination to conquer the time loop, their captors had decided to increase the difficulty of their missions. It now took 9S twice as long to hack the first goliath, during which time 2B had to focus all of her concentration on dodging weapon fire that would chew through her flight unit's armor in two or three hits. And once inside the goliath, 9S was now finding the defense protocols far more substantial, so even while the layout was the same, it took him a great deal more effort to initiate a self-destruct sequence within the titanic beast.
And as for the machine songstress in the theme park…
"Beautiful!" the massive mechanical madwoman screamed to the heavens. "Beautiful! I must be beautiful!"
"Shoot her!" A2 exclaimed, backflipping over a spray of energy orbs careening through the theme park theater from the array of inert androids crucified all around them.
"I am shooting her!" 9S shouted back, directing Pod 153 to unleash all of its laser fire on the machine.
When he and 2B had encountered this machine in the original timeline, it had employed a sophisticated hacking protocol as part of its offensive weaponry. 9S had gone into the recurrent fight expecting a similar strategy, and had been taken completely off guard when the machine had utterly overwhelmed his defense protocols and forced him to self-destruct, promptly resetting the time loop.
After numerous failed attempts, even three-on-one, the songstress had proven to be more than a match for the androids. 9S had consistently been the weak link in the fight, simply because there was nowhere for him to hide while he was fending off the machine hack. He kept taking damage from the surrounding enemy fire, and 2B and A2 had needed to diverge from their attack on the songstress just to protect him. But once he freed himself from the hack, the machines simply launched another hack, starting the process all over again.
"Warning!" Pod 153 reported. "Saturation attack triggered by enemy consciousness data. Failure to destroy it quickly may lead to serious damage in memory regions."
9S and 2B dodged the songstress as she pounced, a multitude of mechanical legs cobbled together from various machine parts sprouted from her metallic dress, the gaping maw of yet another cannibalized machine snaking out from beneath her body. As she landed, a tight ring-like beam of energy expanded from her dress, and caught the androids in another hack, and 9S was once again yanked back into yet another one-sided fire-fight with his probe's lone blaster.
It was clear that the enemy outclassed them when it came to hacking. Given what had occurred when 9S had hacked 2B, he felt it safe to assume that if their captors truly wanted them to lose this fight with the songstress, they wouldn't have even been making what little progress they had thus far. This left little doubt that this fight had been deliberately made more difficult than it had originally been, just as there was no doubt that the exact level of difficulty had been a completely arbitrary decision on the part of their tormentors. Which ultimately only made it all the more disheartening.
When the next hack came, 9S was still reeling from the previous one. He gritted his teeth, bracing himself for another mainframe filled with attack protocols that could absorb everything he threw at them and then some before admitting defeat. When his conscious mind was pulled once again into the digital space, however, he was surprised to find another YoRHa probe next to his, already unleashing a barrage of energy bolts.
"A-A2?" 9S stammered in disbelief.
"I said shoot her!" A2 repeated herself, her unadorned triangular probe still somehow appearing annoyed as she quickly maneuvered around the oncoming wave of energy orbs coming their way. "Also, maybe think about dodging while you're at it!"
9S refocused his efforts on counter-hacking, targeting the enemy attack protocols one by one. One of the Pods must have enabled A2's hacking function for her. It was not unheard of for YoRHa androids to conduct joint hacking attempts like this, but he hadn't participated in very many such exercises himself outside of training back at the bunker, and certainly not with the likes of A2. For her to risk countering a hack of this caliber was extremely risky, not only to herself, but to the whole team.
She would be at a disadvantage, since she would have to sync up her hacking protocols to his own, meaning that she would experience a noticeable lag in response time, which could easily throw off any given maneuver. This compounded with the fact that there were now two targets that the machine hacking protocols could damage, and if either of them fell, it would be game over. And to make matters worse, her being here meant that 2B was now the only remaining android out in physical space who could protect either of them from the weaponized androids crucified around them. Furthermore, while 9S was hesitant to voice any such assumptions out loud, he was not entirely sure that A2 had any real experience with hacking at all.
Still, A2 held her own – largely through brute force hacking strategies. She just fired and fired and fired until the enemy gave way. She wasn't employing any methods that were overly technical in nature, but when it came to the basics, 9S had to admit that her technique was solid. More importantly, her work helped to counteract a lot of the same brute-force hacking attacks that were coming his way. This allowed him to focus on the more technical elements that were more suited to his strengths, without having to worry about being overwhelmed by sheer numbers. Loathe as he was to admit it, he and A2 seemed to work quite well together in the digital space.
He quickly rendered the enemy hack defunct, and emerged into real space to discover that he and A2 had both avoided taking any damage during the process. It seemed that 2B was having no difficulty in keeping the two of them safe for the comparatively shorter amount of time they had required. With this in mind, 9S decided to change tactics and go on the offensive, quickly sending a probe into the machine songstress. The defense protocols he encountered were just as substantial as he had feared, but once again, A2 was there with him, fending off the worst of the enemy attacks in probe form. Her brute force techniques were just what he needed to keep the enemy fire off of his probe, giving him time to peel back the layers in the enemy's defensive mainframe, before finally revealing the machine's core control matrix.
"Look at me!" the tiny little core was shouting as it danced around erratically within the chamber of the mainframe that housed it. "Look at me! Why won't anyone look at me!?"
It looked just like the core of the goliath, apart from its behavior, and 9S once again found himself hesitating. Even after all this time, he still couldn't shake the feeling that, were it not for some cosmic twist of fate, he himself and every android he had ever known, could have just been another machine like this one – frantic, obsessed, and lost within its own desperate struggle, blind to anything but one unattainable goal. 9S couldn't be sure why the machine had wanted to be beautiful, and even if he could guess at its reasoning, he couldn't fathom why its quest for beauty had led it down such a violent and destructive path. But he had spent the last half dozen recursions or so trying to defeat this particular machine, and he was not in any sort of frame of mind to try to empathize with its motivations just then.
He fired.
Unlike the goliath, the node which the core control matrix occupied did not seem to be compatible with his own. Maybe the distinctly 'feminine' nature of this machine had made it unsuitable for 9S' own makeup. Whatever the case, destroying the core resulted in both of the two androids being spat almost violently back out into real space, just in time to see the songstress thrash about in torment, before disintegrating into a shower of sparks.
BOOM!
All three androids were knocked to the floor in the blast, flaming pieces of debris flying out in all directions. The machine songstress had been reduced to a twisted heap of scrap metal strewn across the ruined auditorium. And the ensnared husks of the other unfortunate androids fell silent where they remained splayed out around the three combatants like some macabre audience.
As the dust settled, 9S sat up and collected himself, casting his gaze out towards his two companions.
"We did it…" he said, expecting to see looks of triumph or at least relief on their faces after finally achieving victory following so many failed attempts.
Instead, he only saw exhaustion and despondency. The battle had been hard won, and having to take down a goliath after each failed attempt just to proceed to the next one had not aided matters. And while it seemed that they had stumbled upon a viable strategy for this latest obstacle in their path, that only meant that they had gotten lucky. It did not necessarily guarantee that it would remain effective upon repeated attempts, nor did it negate the fact that their hardest battles were still yet to come. The only certainty they could hope for lay in further repetition and refinement, which of course, inevitably, meant far more recursions down the line.
"Is everyone alright?" he called out, more as a way of breaking the tension than actually making an inquiry. He could tell just by looking that both his companions were still functional.
"Ugh…" A2 groaned, mashing the heels of her hands into her eyes. "I wish you'd have warned me that hacking gives you this much of a headache!"
9S smiled at A2's bitter response. If she was well enough to complain so loudly, she was obviously fine.
"2B?" he called out to his partner after a period of silence.
2B, who had been staring at the smoldering wreckage of their most recent opponent, quickly looked up at him and nodded absently.
"I'm fine," she relayed calmly.
9S wasn't entirely convinced by her tone, but he was still somewhat loath to broach the subject with A2 still in earshot. He opted instead for trying to make conversation in order to lighten the mood.
"That was a pretty gutsy move, A2," 9S commented, climbing to his feet. "Cooperative hacking is a risky proposition under even the best of conditions. Where'd you even learn to do that?"
A2 shrugged nonchalantly at that. "I'm, what, twice your age? You pick up a few things when you've been on the run for as long as I have."
"Seems you're just full of surprises," 2B commented dryly.
A2 threw her a curious look. "Comes with the territory, I guess."
9S shifted uncomfortably at the tension that was building in the room once again, his efforts at keeping the peace utterly thwarted. As much as 2B had been pushing for cooperation with A2 after their initial encounter, his partner had become oddly aloof towards the other android as of late. While 9S hated to admit it, A2 had been a massive help in dealing with this time loop, and it was unlikely that they would have made nearly as much progress as they had without her aid. He wouldn't say that he trusted her yet, but he still had to acknowledge that she had been a reliable ally thus far. And while he might not necessarily like her the way he liked his teammates back in YoRHa, he certainly valued her in a very similar way by this point. Not as much as he valued 2B, but he still considered her a comrade, if not exactly a friend.
But the way 2B had been acting around her, it was if she expected A2 to turn on them at a moment's notice. He trusted 2B's instincts, and if she was suspicious of A2, that was reason enough for him to keep an eye out for any trouble from the prototype attacker unit. But for the life of him, 9S could not determine the source of his partner's misgivings. A2 might have been brash, impulsive, and more than a little rude, but everything she had done so far still seemed to point to her being on their side. He would have to ask 2B about it whenever they got a chance.
9S turned to head towards the exit in another effort to disperse the tension in the scorched and ruined theater.
"Come on," he called out to the other two. "Pascal's envoy should be waiting for us outside by now. We'll be able to rest and resupply at his village."
As he made his way up the stairs, 2B followed while A2 lingered behind.
"Actually, you guys go on ahead," she called out to them. "I'll catch up with you later."
9S blinked in surprise. The three of them had been sticking together after the Resistance camp for the last several recursions, and A2 had remained with them without complaint until this point. He threw a glance towards 2B, certain that she would respond with whatever probing questions were clearly at the forefront of her thoughts.
Instead, however, she turned to Pod 042 and issued an order.
"Okay," she said curtly. "Pod, stay with A2 until we reconvene."
"Affirmative," the support unit said, floating over to the other android. "Transferring temporary usage rights to YoRHa Unit A2."
A2 fixed the Pod with a dirty look.
"You don't have to do that," she said grumpily. "I can take care of myself, you know."
"Can't be too careful," 2B explained simply, turning to march out the door, as if to declare that she would hear no further argument on the subject. "With the machines' heightened strength, we need to remain on guard at all times. Besides, didn't you say that you were looking forward to teaming up with 042 once again? Consider this your chance to reconnect."
9S withered under the glare A2 was giving them both.
"It's all going to go 'poof' by the next recursion anyway!" she called after them, the Pod remaining resolutely at her side.
2B ignored her and 9S hurried skittishly behind her as she strode down the stairs towards the castle doors leading to the bridge outside. He could still hear A2 grumbling incoherently from inside, though she did not seem to be following them. Still, it was only after they were outside the building and 9S was sure they were truly out of earshot that he dared to speak.
"Is something wrong, 2B?" he asked quietly, spotting the machine waving a white flag on the other side of the bridge.
2B did not halt her stride.
"It's…complicated," she said in an exhausted voice – that fight must have taken a lot out of her. "I'll explain once we have a chance to rest."
9S cast a nervous glance back at the castle doors, seeing no sign of A2. He wondered if she was still inside, or if she had found another exit somewhere.
"There's something about A2, isn't there?" he asked tentatively. "Something you don't want to say with her listening in. You left your pod with her to keep tabs on her, didn't you?"
2B sighed as she walked. "Like I said, it's complicated. A2 seems to be rather uncomfortable regarding Pascal, so I anticipated that she might not join us for that leg of our journey. It should give us a chance to speak privately."
9S swallowed. This must be a bigger deal than he had feared. 2B had clearly been planning this for a while now if she had thought things through to this extent.
They said nothing more as they approached the little robot waving its flag. Just as before, it explained the situation with the pacifist machines to them, and offered to guide them to Pascal's village. They agreed to follow it and made their way along the elevated pathway running through the trees that abutted the theme park. They continued on in silence as they watched the supply shuttles take off in the distance, bypassing the eccentric scientist machine and his stall overhead, until finally the pacifist village came into view.
Just as before, once again, each and every machine present was waving a white flag. However as 2B and 9S wandered in, the flag waving slowly came to a halt, as one by one the machines let their makeshift banners come to a rest, setting their poles to the ground by their feet. It was oddly inconsistent with the original timeline, but 9S couldn't be sure what it could mean.
The two of them reached Pascal, who stood where he had before along the catwalk surrounding the machine's ramshackle housing complex.
"Oh good," Pascal said in his customarily friendly and feminine sounding voice. "You two finally made it. I was worried that the machine in the theme park would prove too difficult yet again."
That got a raised eyebrow from both androids.
"Yet again?" 9S asked suspiciously, suddenly wary of their surroundings. "Wait…do you know us? Have we met before?"
Pascal nodded his big cylindrical head. "Of course! Though I suppose it has been a while. Please, feel free to take all the time you need to rest up while you're here. We have a spare room for you if you need."
He gestured to an open door further down the catwalk.
"Wait a minute," 2B said sternly. "Pascal…you mean to say that you know about the time loop?"
"Time loop," Pascal said, introspectively. "That's an interesting way of looking at it. If you're talking about how reality itself seems to revert back to a previous state every time one of you dies, then yes, I'm aware of it. I'm afraid I'm the only one in the village who seems to know it's happening though. The villagers don't seem to understand when I try to explain it to them, so I've mostly just been going about business as usual each time things reset."
2B eyed the machine skeptically. "One of us? You mean, it doesn't happen when you die?"
"I wouldn't know," Pascal said simply. "I haven't died yet. And I have no pressing need to. But after watching your battles with the machine from the theme park, I surmised that you two were connected to whatever's going on. I'm just glad to finally get the chance to speak with you. Judging by your reactions, I guess my suspicions are confirmed."
9S swallowed hard. Suddenly the list of players in this game had expanded yet again.
"God…" he breathed. "You mean, after all these recursions, you've just been…stuck here, going through the motions, knowing that it's just going to keep repeating itself?"
Pascal tilted his head back and forth. "It hasn't been all that bad. It's very peaceful here still, and it's nice to be able to spend time with the villagers once again. I know that eventually the villagers will go mad and destroy one another. But for the time being, I get to see them all again for a little while longer."
9S pursed his lips. So the pacifist machines had ended up destroying each other? It must have happened after the fall of YoRHa. He had clearly missed that little detail in his dogged pursuit of the keys to the machine tower. Was this the reason A2 seemed so averse to coming here?
"Why didn't you come find us?" 2B asked pointedly. "We could have worked together."
Pascal gave her a helpless shrug.
"It would have been too dangerous for me out there," he explained somberly. "I have little in the way of combat capabilities, and I don't have any resources or tools beyond what was already in my possession when we first met. And I'm cut off from the machine network, so I don't even have any useful data on what's actually going on. I'm afraid I wouldn't have been any help to you before, nor will I be of much help to you now. Besides…"
Pascal turned a fond look out towards the rest of the villagers, who had all put down their flags and resumed whatever activity they had previously been engaged with, whether that was conversing, running and jumping around, or going down the long slide between the catwalks.
"I am still bound to the machines of this village," Pascal said forlornly, watching the villagers with obvious warmth. "They still need me. Even if they are already dead in real life, my place is here with them just the same."
9S couldn't help looking at 2B, knowing full well the dilemma Pascal was facing. Despite the obvious flaws in Pascal's reasoning, 9S could not refute what he was saying. He didn't pretend to understand how the machine saw things, but if there was one thing he could relate to, it was the relief at finally having a second chance to spend time with someone he had lost.
"Do you know if there is anyone else who is connected to the time loop?" 2B prodded further. "Most of the people we've met so far seem to be unaware of it."
Pascal shrugged his blocky shoulders.
"I can't see much beyond this village," he sighed. "My scouts keep an eye on the forest kingdom and the theme park, but so far, you two and your other android friend are the only ones who do anything differently each time."
"You mean A2?" 2B asked sternly, crossing her arms. "I wouldn't say she's our friend, exactly…"
"I apologize for making assumptions," Pascal said earnestly. "Whatever the case, I'll be happy to let you know if I spot anything out of the ordinary. It's worth pointing out, though, that deviations may very well start occurring naturally the more our own actions change and affect the world around us in different ways each time things reset."
9S sighed. The machine wasn't saying anything that he hadn't already considered. What bothered him was how passively Pascal seemed to have accepted things and gone along with them, to the point that the machine did not seem inclined to fight back. 9S supposed that he should have expected as much from a pacifist, but the ugly truth was that 9S and 2B seemed to wield no greater power than Pascal did in this time loop. And the calm rationality with which Pascal was facing this inevitability cast their own struggle as an effort in futility.
2B nodded, holding her chin as she thought.
"Pascal…" she said pensively. "How well do you know A2, anyway?"
Pascal looked troubled. "Not as well as I'd like, I'm afraid. She spared my life when we first met, and she stepped in when the villagers started attacking each other. And after the children and I escaped to the factory, she helped me defend them from further attacks. And then…"
Pascal's robotic hands came up to clutch the side of his head in consternation.
"After that, I don't remember any more…" he admitted. "I can only assume that's where the original version of events ended."
2B and 9S exchanged a troubled glance. Neither of them had seen Pascal make such an expression before. It seemed that A2 and Pascal had seen quite a bit of action after the fall of YoRHa, and if the events had traumatized the machine to this extent, it was no wonder that A2 would be uncomfortable here. And it couldn't have been a coincidence that A2 and Pascal's journey had come to an end at the factory. Somehow, things always seemed to lead back to that abysmal place.
"I see…" 2B sighed as she looked away, seeming to finally relent in her interrogations.
Pascal said nothing more, and 9S drew in a breath, an uncomfortable silence settling over them all. It would be nice to have an ally in Pascal, he reflected, but it seemed that the machine truly wasn't in a position to offer much aid. He also seemed perfectly content to leave things as they were, so it might actually behoove them not to get too involved with the pacifist. He could very well be in favor of simply allowing the time loop to continue on forever. To that end, it would be best if they could find somewhere private to discuss things and then be on their way.
"Thanks for your help," 9S said, though it sounded forced. "Actually, the two of us could really use some rest right now. You mentioned a, uh…spare room we might be able to use?"
Pascal's eyes lit up in delight at the idea of being helpful. "Oh yes! Right over this way…"
The two androids followed their host over to the open door to which he had gestured earlier. Outside of it, various machines wandered about, clamoring up and down ladders, and generally imitating humanity to a bizarre degree. And on the inside, the room was filled with various bits of scrap metal fused and welded together into an even more bizarre collage of shapes inspired by humanity.
Sheets of iron and brass had been folded together along with various pipes to form rudimentary tables and chairs, and while they did not look terribly comfortable, they appeared quite sturdy enough to support the weight of a heavy mechanical occupant such as a machine lifeform or an android. Sitting atop the largest table was an open tin can which contained a handful of rusty wrenches and screwdrivers arranged to look like flowers in a vase. In one corner of the room, a steel drum had been curved into a funnel shape and placed atop a pole to resemble a tall floor lamp, though there was no light illuminating from its dome. And at the far end of the room stretched a single wrought iron frame that formed the base of a bed, atop which lay a wide canvas bedroll in place of a mattress. The only source of Illumination came from a single window opposite the door, which bathed the whole room in a soft warm glow from the sun through the trees.
Whatever machine had made its home here before them must have tried to replicate a human bedroom as closely as they could, getting the shape and style fairly close, while completely losing sight of function and utility. Though the two of them had certainly made do with worse accommodations in the past, 9S observed. And at least the bed was not solid metal, though the realization that there was only one brought a sudden rosy color to his cheeks.
"Please stay for as long as you need," Pascal said as the two androids stepped inside. "Make yourselves at home. You are welcome here any time you like."
9S was still somewhat distracted at the prospect of sharing such close quarters with 2B in private after so long, and it was 2B who finally turned to the village leader and lowered her head in appreciation.
"Thank you for the hospitality, Pascal," she bowed politely. "We won't impose for long."
Pascal nodded and closed the door, and the sound of his heavy footsteps could be heard trodding away from the room. 9S swallowed as he noticed that even Pod 153 had opted to wait outside.
They were alone.
"So…" he licked his lips, suddenly forgetting all about A2 and the time loop. "What, uh…what did you want to talk about?"
2B sat down on the bed, resting her arms on her legs, with her hands clasped between them.
"I'm not really sure where to begin," she sighed, hanging her head forlornly.
9S shrugged absently as he checked his internal chronometer.
"Well, take some time to think it over if you need," he said softly, setting his travel bag by the door. "By my calculation, we should have at least five hours or so before the goliaths attack the city ruins. So we have time."
2B pursed her lips, taking a deep cleansing breath as she remained ponderously still for several moments.
"9S…" she finally said after a while. "Can you recall anything that happened when you hacked into my head?"
9S bit his lip, shaking his head slowly. "Nothing. I did a bunch of scans on myself to see if there was any evidence of corrupt or tampered memories that might have been erased, but if the machines wiped any experiences from that period of time from my memory banks, they were very thorough. I can't find any trace of there ever having been anything there at all. All I can recall is waking up to find you after you had hacked into me."
2B nodded slowly, still hanging her head, and 9S sat down next to her on the bed, concern quickly overriding any excitement he might have felt about the situation.
"9S…" she said again, her voice slow and even. "When you fought A2 for the last time back in the original timeline…how did the fight go, exactly? Which one of you defeated the other again?"
9S ground his teeth a little at that. He didn't like thinking back to those memories after the fall of YoRHa. But if it helped allay some of 2B's fears, it was at least worth obliging her.
"I technically won, I think," he said somewhat shamefully. "But I was under the effects of a viral contamination by that point, and I…well, I guess I was so far gone that I ran right into A2's sword after landing the final blow. Some part of me must have managed to hold out though, because it was around then that I heard Adam's message about the ark."
2B nodded slowly. "So you don't recall A2 cutting off your arm or hacking into your head with her Pod's help?"
9S blinked. Where had that come from? That was an oddly specific description of events. The question was so unexpected that, rather than plumb the depths of his memory banks for anything that resembled her description, he was instead left wondering what would cause 2B to ask such a question to begin with.
"That's…" he began.
But then he stopped. Somewhere in the back of his mind, 2B's portrayal of events seemed to shake something loose, and the more he wracked his brain for an answer, the more the fragments began to take shape.
"Wait…" he stuttered as the memory began to solidify. "I don't…think that's how it went, but…the way you described it, I think…I can see it in my mind, clear as day somehow…"
There it was in his memory – the battle with A2, the blow he had struck on her, as well as the strike that had severed his arm. The distant feeling of pain at being impaled, and the sudden rush of panic as he felt himself being hacked. Two sets of memories existed simultaneously. They were addled by the viral contamination, but they were there. And he was suddenly unsure which version of events was real.
9S began to tremble as he looked to his partner, color draining from his face. "…What's going on, 2B?"
2B drew in a breath, her expression growing darker. "Well…I couldn't be sure I wasn't imagining it myself until you confirmed it for me just now, but…"
She withdrew the mask from her face so she could peer at him directly with her pale blue eyes.
"9S…I saw both of these memories in your head when I was in there," she said somberly. "A2 also let it slip that she was able to hack into you at one point, and this was after she had already confirmed that your battle ended how you described it. So it appears that both of you recall these two events somehow."
9S pressed a hand against his forehead. None of this made any god damned sense! Here he was, concerned that the machines might have manipulated his memories from within the time loop, and now it seemed that his memories from outside the time loop were just as subject to doubt! He was getting so tired of not being able to trust his own head! He was a scout unit! A hacker! A thinker! His mind was his primary weapon! His last bastion against…everything! If he couldn't depend on his own mind…
"Fuck…" he muttered to himself, tumbling back onto the stiff, lumpy mattress.
He was too tired to grapple with all this. It had taken all of his concentration to take on the machine songstress, and now he was trying to unravel whether or not anything that he knew or remembered was even real.
2B turned to look down at him. "There's more. When I spoke to the machine entity, it mentioned two test subjects – you and myself. It said nothing about A2. The machines seem to have a plan for you and me, 9S. But not her."
9S reached up to withdraw the sash from his own eyes, though his gaze was locked on the ceiling overhead. His eyes were unconsciously tracing the pattern in the wood in which the tiny room was carved. He was focusing on something tangible that would allow him to exercise even the most basic pattern recognition protocols in his head in an unconscious effort to convince himself that his mind still even worked.
"You don't think the machine was just giving you false information to throw you off?" he asked, trying to rule out possibilities.
2B shook her head. "I don't know. But A2 is clearly hiding something from us. Why would she keep the two events in your memory a secret from us otherwise?"
9S shrugged, his eyes squeezing shut as he thought things over.
"Maybe she doesn't even realize they're two separate memories," he suggested. "Or maybe she's worried that telling us will affect our morale."
2B slowly shook her head. "Or maybe that's all just wishful thinking. I thought of those alternatives too, 9S. But even if her intentions are innocent, I'm still not entirely sure what she even is compared to the two of us."
9S rested a hand over his eyes, palm upward. He needed sleep.
"And just what are the two of us, anyway?" he asked bluntly. "Just motes of data meandering around a digital world, acting like we're real?"
He could envision the disdainful look 2B was fixing him with in that moment, though he was still covering his eyes with his hand and couldn't see her expression.
"We've discussed this, 9S," she shot back. "It doesn't matter what we are in the end. We're still us."
9S lowered his hand from his eyes to meet 2B's rueful gaze.
"Then it doesn't matter what A2 is either," he said simply. "If we don't draw a line for ourselves, how do we justify drawing it for anyone else in this time loop? Pascal has been conscious of every single recursion up to this point, and he's just been content to live his life, going through the recursions one at a time without complaint. How do we know that there aren't a dozen of others like Pascal out there in the time loop, whose lives and experiences are just as valid as ours? Who are we to say otherwise? Heck, we can't even say for certain that all the people who aren't even aware of the time loop are any less real than we are."
That gave 2B pause, and 9S got the distinct impression that his words had come dangerously close to something she didn't want to talk about, and it broke his heart to consider that 2B might still be hiding things from him.
"2B," he sat up, fixing his gaze on her as she stared blankly out the single solitary window that was the room's only source of light. "What's this really about? I can tell there's something else bothering you. What am I missing, exactly? Or do you think I won't be able to handle it if you tell me?"
2B shook her head vehemently. "No! I mean…yes, there is something else, but…it can wait. There's something I want to do first…"
9S felt his blood quicken as 2B abruptly turned to crawl on her hands and knees towards him over the bed.
"2-2B…?" 9S swallowed hard, barely managing to sprawl backwards before she was on him.
All at once, she was straddling his hips, staring down at him with a dejected longing in her eyes that was at once pleading and demanding.
"Nines…" she whispered, leaning down to kiss him.
9S went rigid. 2B had him pinned down to the bed, sitting astride his waist, her hands on his shoulders, and her lips upon his. Her dress bunched and crinkled as she pressed to him, and her long boots emitted a series of gentle squeaks as her legs coiled up on either side of his hips. Her hair cascaded all around his face as she descended upon him, and the faint perfume of lunar tears that clung to her was suddenly filling his senses. The purring rasp of nylon and polyester from her gloves and stockings dragging across his frame was sending shivers all throughout his body. And in spite of the rigid carbon fiber framework deep inside, the soft pillowy give of skin just beneath the leotard peeking out from under the flare of her skirt was still enough to make him dizzy.
All of these sensations registered in 9S simultaneously. His heart began to thud violently in his chest, his face ablaze, and his skin electrified, as virtual synapses fired off at lightning speed. She was so close – the taste of her lips on his, the touch of her skin through silken embroidery, the weight of her hips as she nested herself upon him – everything about her was so vivid and real and…and god, she was kissing him! Only in his wildest waking fantasies had 9S ever imagined 2B would condone such intimacy, much less that she would initiate anything without so much as a single provocation.
Her hands were all over him, and 9S had to stop himself from crying out in shock and embarrassment as she pulled him closer. His voice was coming out in stammering breaths, and he was far too stunned by her aggressiveness to offer so much as a response. It had been some time since they had been at liberty to explore the nuances of their peculiar relationship, and 9S had fully assumed that any future progress would involve a lot more discussion before anything like this happened. But the way her tongue was delving between his lips, the way her fingers drew up and down his chest, and the way her hips gyrated against him, it was all 9S could do to keep his system from crashing with overstimulation.
His eyes then flew open when one of her hands began to journey below his waistline.
"Ahhh…2B…" he stammered, his whole body trembling as he felt her fingertips roaming the front of his pants. "W-Wait…"
2B looked up from her task, her eyes wistful and pleading as they met his own.
"Come on, 9S…" she said in a breathy voice, her hand still moving back and forth over his groin. "Don't you want this too?"
9S' mouth had gone dry, and he had to swallow to regain his voice, licking his lips in distress. He wanted her to continue. God, he wanted nothing more in that moment than to find out just how far she intended to go with this. But this was all just so wrong! It shouldn't be this easy, to go from fighting one of their most difficult enemies to date, to unravelling yet another mystery of the time loop, to learning that there were still secrets being kept from him, by A2 and possibly even 2B herself, and then suddenly plunging headlong into unbridled passion. And 2B would never be this impulsive without a good reason for doing so. Something wasn't right about all this, and 9S' better judgement told him that going along with it would be a mistake in the end.
Mentally kicking himself for trying to take the high road, he placed his hands on her shoulders.
"I do, 2B…" he whispered shakily, his cool blue eyes fixed on hers. "But…not like this."
Her brow furrowed in annoyance and 9S worried he might have said the wrong thing.
"What do you mean, 'not like this?'" she demanded testily, still straddling him.
Licking his lips again, sweat beading across his brow, 9S tried to steady his breathing, doing his best to ignore the autonomic system responses activating where their bodies remained in contact beneath her skirt.
"It just feels like…" he whispered nervously, trying to focus on something other than her glistening lips. "…Like we're only doing this to avoid talking about something difficult…"
She withdrew her hands, sliding off of him to sit back on her knees on the bed before him, a withered look in her eyes as she lowered her gaze.
"Nines…" she whispered in a tremulous voice. "I'm just…tired of this time loop getting in our way all the time…"
"I know…" 9S said, reaching out to take her hand in his. "It's all we've been able to focus on lately, and we deserve a chance to just…forget about it all and take some time for ourselves for a little while. But still…I mean…look, this is going to sound silly, but…"
His eyes were hopeful and vulnerable as they met hers once more.
"I just…want our first time to be special, you know?" he said, cheeks red with adulation. "It should mean something. I don't want it to just be a convenient distraction. We've already got so much working against us as it is. I mean, the only times we've been able to spend together are these little stolen moments snatched up here and there from one recursion or another. I want to make sure we get this right, 2B. We owe ourselves that much, don't we?"
2B lowered her eyes shut, and 9S prayed that he hadn't only managed to push her away. If she really, truly needed his comfort, he was more than happy to oblige her. But more and more, he was getting the feeling that her main goal in kissing him was to prevent him from uncovering something that would upset the status quo yet again. That came troublingly close to the kind of manipulation imposed on him by YoRHa, and if 2B was going to resort to such tactics with him now, then he truly had misjudged her.
In the end, however, 2B ultimately lowered her eyes and nodded.
"You're right…" she whispered, collapsing onto the bed beside him, rolling onto her back and staring up at the ceiling before rubbing her eyes, releasing a breath of disbelief. "God, what am I doing…?"
A relieved smile spread across 9S' face and he lowered himself to lie next to her, facing her on his side as he began to catch his breath. While they still clearly had some issues to work through, at least they were communicating. They were making progress. Though all he wanted to do was go back to kissing her, he knew that would be sending mixed signals. And he meant what he had said – 2B was too important to him to rush things by being overeager. No matter how deeply he ached for her, ensuring her happiness, comfort, and safety (and hopefully not compromising his own ideals in the process) still came first for him.
"Just…tell me what's got you so worked up, 2B," he said in a calming voice, reaching over to caress her hair. "I promise, whatever it is, we can work through it together."
The forlorn look on her face did not abate as she met his gaze.
"You may not be so sure of that when you hear what I have to say, 9S…" she said, her voice sounding harsh, as if speaking caused her physical pain. "Because…when I spoke to the machine entity in your head, it…more or less confirmed A2's theory about us just being memories."
Doubt began to creep through 9S' mind. "What?"
2B fixed him with a worried expression, and it was clear to him just how difficult this was for 2B to share with him.
"You and me, 9S," she said with a wince. "The two of us are just copies. The real 2B and 9S died long ago. We're just the backups the machines created to run their experiments."
9S narrowed his eyes, shaking his head in skepticism. He hadn't wanted to believe it when A2 had suggested it before, and he wasn't any more inclined to believe it now. What made 2B so sure of it all of the sudden? They both knew full well how notorious the machines were at playing mind games with them, which meant that any fact that the machines proclaimed was subject to doubt.
"And you believe this machine entity?" he asked, incredulously.
He could see the certainty in 2B's eyes before she even replied. Whatever had transpired while she had hacked his mind had truly shaken her, it seemed.
"I saw our other backups too," she whispered, her voice quivering at the memory. "When we die at the end of each recursion, another backup is created. I saw them all. You and I, each in the exact state we were in at the conclusion of each timeline prior to that one. Some of them were…barely breathing…"
9S felt his heart sink at the mental image of what 2B described, and even more so as he watched her expression fall at the recollection.
"They were just as scared and confused as you and I were, 9S," she shuddered at the memory. "Just as real. And we'll be just like them at the end of this recursion. And every recursion after that."
2B was shaking now, and 9S reached out to put his arm around her instinctively, even though his thoughts were in a blur as he processed what 2B was saying. In spite of his convictions, in the back of his mind, the suspicion of a scenario like this had always been there ever since A2 had brought up the possibility. But he hadn't really allowed himself to consider the notion until this point, as it spat in the face of everything they had been fighting for.
"The 'you' and the 'me' who shared that first kiss were dead the moment I yanked my OS chip afterward…" 2B shuddered, wrapping her own arms around him. "The two of us, here and now, are just another set of copies, made from the duplicates created long after their deaths. We're probably just going to die at the end of this recursion again, and then two more copies will take our place, with all of our memories passed on to them."
9S squeezed her tightly as she shook and shuddered in his arms. Regardless of whether or not he accepted what 2B was saying, the truth of the matter was that 2B herself believed it. Which made it real enough for him to focus every processor in his brain on the problem. In his head, the enormity of the scenario was suddenly at war with the philosophy that she had proposed to him afterward, and he was struggling to reconcile this inconsistency with the ever evolving feelings he was experiencing around 2B in general. He hadn't been able to truly grapple with the conundrum until things could be resolved with her first.
And as tears began to fill her eyes, it appeared that the same was true of her.
"I tried to tell myself that it didn't matter…" she breathed. "That it's no different from when we used to transfer our memories from the bunker and back. But the truth is…"
She blinked through the tears, locking eyes with his as she reached out to return his caring caress, brushing her hand across his cheek, sniffing back a sob.
"The truth is that I'm scared, Nines…" she said tremulously. "I know how much this means to you, and I've been trying to be brave for you…but I'm just as lost as you are in all this! I don't know what this means for us, but I can't believe that it's all been for nothing! It has to be real, Nines! It has to be!"
9S swallowed. How long had 2B been holding this back? He had always admired her for her strength, her courage, and her steadfast resolve in the face of adversity. Hell, to the rest of YoRHa, 2B had been the pinnacle of poise and grace under fire. He considered himself singularly fortunate to see her in moments like these, to see her fear, her weakness, her tears. That she trusted him enough to share this part of herself with him made him feel a kind of warmth inside that he could barely describe.
And that made the matter at hand much more clear to him.
"Do you remember what you said, 2B?" he asked warmly, tugging his gloves off so he could caress her cheek with his bare hand. "When Adam told us that this time loop was all there was for us?"
2B wrinkled her nose, clearly in no frame of mind to go digging through her memory banks. "What was that?"
9S took her hand in both of his own, bringing it to his lips and placing a tender kiss on her gloved fingers.
"That it doesn't matter what the machines do with us," he said, paraphrasing the words that had given him hope when this same weight had come crashing down on him back then. "It doesn't change your truth. Our truth."
He closed his eyes tightly, kissing her hand again to emphasize his point.
"What we have together is real," he went on, undeterred. "It doesn't matter if we're copies, if we're made from machine cores, or if we're both just going to disappear in the end…"
He gave her hand a squeeze, bringing it to her chest to place it right above her heart.
"This, right here…" he sighed, feeling rather foolish with his theatrics but somehow not caring. "This thing that we have…this connection…this bond between us, 2B? It's real. It matters. And it's worth fighting for."
2B's lower lip was quivering, though the tears had still not relented.
"Nines…" she whimpered, clinging to him with a raw need that went well beyond anything physical. "Are you…are you sure about this? You showed me what happened to you after I died in the real world. What if that were to happen again? More permanently this time? Or what if you were the one taken from me instead? If I lost you now, Nines, I'd…"
She shuddered again, and 9S squeezed her even tighter, a sudden and urgent need rising in the pit of his stomach.
"That's not going to happen, 2B!" he declared, a forceful edge to his voice.
"Please, just listen to me 9S," she continued insistently. "With the kind of forces that we're dealing with now, neither one of us has any way of knowing if we'll ever make it through this. The machines could end us right here and now with the flip of a switch, and we'd be powerless to stop it. Are you…are you sure you're willing to risk that?"
9S suppressed a shudder and shook his head. "Willing or not, it won't change how I feel, 2B. We risk losing each other whether we accept these feelings or not. All we're really deciding here is whether to be honest with ourselves about it."
He loosened his grip on her so he could peer back at her eyes, red from dried tears.
"And if I'm being honest…I'm in love with you, 2B," he said quickly before he could lose his nerve.
Her eyes suddenly widened at his words. "N-Nines…"
"I can't help it," he said, his breathing growing quicker, his heart racing. "I don't care if it's illogical for an android to feel love…but that's how I feel. Even if we are just copies, even if none of this turns out to be real, it's real to me."
9S seized her hand once more, this time bringing it to his own chest. He thought that he might have finally understood how 2B had been able to thumb her nose at Adam with such conviction when she had, despite the fact that their adversary had held all the cards in that moment. 2B and 9S' connection, he realized, had very little to do with anything physical, logical, or reasonable. Their feelings, rather, were more a kind of self-delusion, as illogical and irrational and unbalanced as anything they had witnessed in other androids and machines out in the real world who had also professed to feelings of love.
He hadn't understood it when he'd seen it before, but here in this time loop where reality itself was just as off-kilter, it was becoming more and more clear to him that these emotions, these beliefs, these self-delusions…they had power. Power enough to allow them both to stand fast in the face of even the most overwhelming adversity, no matter how illogical or irrational or impossible it seemed. Even in the ashes of crushing defeat, so long as the will to carry on persisted somehow, then success was still technically within reach. The conviction to prevail, even if that conviction existed for no other reason than for its own sake, was still capable of supporting itself, so long as the individual continued to believe it hard enough. And the love that 9S felt for 2B was more than capable of clearing that particular bar.
He had no way of knowing whether that love would actually be enough in the end of course, but that didn't make it any less real. And after they had both been through so much, the fact that the two of them continued to exist in any capacity at all was, in itself, proof that these intangible qualities they possessed were worth something. Neither one of them had a clear grasp of who or what they really were anymore, but here in this world of twisted reality, the feelings the two of them shared between them were all that they really had left now. That was what 2B must have realized in her confrontation with Adam. And 9S was only ashamed that it had taken him so long to reach that realization now.
"That's my truth, 2B," he declared with a breath of emphasis, surprising even himself how much he meant the words. "And I…"
He squeezed her hand in both of his own, holding it up earnestly between the two of them.
"I just hope that it might be our truth too…" he finished, feeling exhausted and terrified, like he was hanging off the edge of a cliff.
He wasn't sure how long he had been planning to say these words to her. He had known long ago that he had been in love with 2B, even if he had never been brave enough to admit it. And he hoped, perhaps naively, that 2B felt the same. He just couldn't be sure whether the strength of that feeling could override her sense of duty, her pride…or her fear.
When he had finally worked up the courage to meet her eyes once again, he saw more tears glistening in the light that flickered through the trees outside their window. He saw her lips pressing together, a mixture of emotions on her face, seemingly at a loss for what to say first. It was impossible to guess from her expression how she would reply. Would she berate him for allowing himself to be compromised in such a manner? Laugh at him for being childish? Turn away for fear of hurting him? Or herself?
When she pulled her hands free from his grip, he drew in a breath in preparation for heartbreak.
"That's not fair…" she whispered in a breathy voice, eyes disappearing behind silver bangs. "You can't just…say things like that to me without any warning…"
9S' lower lip was quivering. Had he put too much pressure on her? Or had he completely misunderstood the situation again? 2B had seemed fairly keen on picking up where they had left off the last time they had a moment's privacy. But then again, as that little voice in the back of his head reminded him, that wasn't necessarily the same thing as love now, was it?
9S' face tightened in humiliation, painfully aware of the fact that 2B was now refusing to meet his gaze. God, he had really stepped in it this time. Hadn't they just narrowly averted disaster the last time 2B had tried confronting her feelings? How could he have put her in such a position? 2B was probably in no frame of mind to even think about love! Heck, how did he himself even know that what he felt could even be called love? How was she supposed to respond to such a declaration? Now she had no choice but to either try to let him down gently or lie about how she felt. And really, just because he and 2B were the last androids around with any idea of what was going on, that didn't automatically mean they were somehow destined to be with one another! How could he be such a child about this?
"I'm…I'm sorry, I…" he stammered as he looked away, feeling utterly mortified as he tried to salvage the situation. "I didn't mean to put you on the spot like that. God, that was really presumptuous of me, wasn't it? I guess…I guess I got caught up in the moment and…just jumped the gun, you know…?"
He felt like an idiot, blurting out these trite excuses that did such a poor job of concealing how hopelessly naïve he still was. What did he think he was doing? How could he have made such an utter mess of things?
9S was about to get to his feet and walk away, when 2B caught his arm and pulled him back towards her. He was suddenly staring back at her face as she reached up to cup both of his cheeks in her hands.
"You don't understand, Nines…" she breathed in a tremulous voice. "Because if I'm being honest…"
Her eyes finally peeked out from behind her silvery locks, and 9S could see a smile of pure adoration on her face as she held him, peering into his eyes with the warmest of emotion.
"…I think that I've been in love with you ever since our first mission together," 2B whispered through tears of joy.
9S' throat went dry, his eyes widening as his thought processes ground to a halt. As 2B continued to smile at him with those beautiful blue eyes of hers, it was relief more than anything else that washed over him in the following moments. It had all come down to that one question, and for the time being, she had answered it for him. He knew that there would be plenty more issues for the two of them to discuss – far more than he could count in all likelihood. He knew that as determined and motivated as they both were, they were also fallible. Minds could change, hearts could break, and circumstances could still tear them apart if fate so willed it. But at that moment, none of this mattered to 9S.
2B had said yes. That was all he cared about.
He was kissing her before he could stop himself, and she was doing nothing to prevent his advances on her. The tenderness as she brushed her hands across his face, his shoulders, his back, the heated urgency as she devoured his lips, the restrained need evident in the undulation of her hips as she molded her body to his…every movement she made in response to him only urged him to go further.
"How do you want to do this…?" she whispered breathlessly as she continued kissing him, concern warring with desire in her voice. "You set the pace, 9S…whatever you're comfortable with…"
9S brought the palm of his hand up to stroke her cheek in response, pulling back to meet her eyes with his, a mirthful smile on his face.
"This is perfect…" he said, feeling his smile reach his eyes for the first time that he could ever recall. "Just like this…"
2B closed her eyes as she gave into his kisses once again, her mouth exploring his with the hunger of a curious kitten, her gloved fingers finding their way through his hair. There was such a raw physicality to her movements that 9S felt utterly outmatched in so close a proximity. It was more than mere grace, the way her hips twisted against his, her legs coiling around him, as if trying to touch as much of him with as much of herself as possible. There was a sheer purpose in her movements, a determination to pursue her intended goal in spite of any obstacles that might interfere. For as shy and hesitant as she was when this had all been unfamiliar territory, now that her mind was made up, she was once again a force to be reckoned with.
9S just couldn't compete, and before long, she had him on his back once again, straddling his waist, her hands running up and down his chest as her hips bobbed up and down over his, almost playfully.
"2-2B…" 9S gasped, a feeling both unfamiliar and all too familiar rising up to steal every bit of focus from his mind. "You're…you're going to drive me crazy if you keep that up…"
2B only smiled in response, before reaching down to pry at one of the buttons on his jacket, a meaningful look in her eyes.
"May I?" she asked, a hint of coyness in her voice, clearly aware of what kind of effect she was having on him.
9S swallowed hard and nodded feebly as 2B slowly began undoing the buttons on his jacket. Not that he could have said no even if he'd wanted to. She had a look of focus and concentration on her face as she worked, and the fact that she was biting her lip in the process wasn't helping matters. Once she had his jacket open, she then slid her hands up along the inside, her fingers lingering on his chest before tugging the coat free from his shoulders and letting it fall to the wooden floor beside the bed.
Her hands began to roam the front of his body once more, the thin black undershirt that remained doing very little to stave off the feeling of electricity shooting through his skin wherever her fingertips made contact. He heard a low groan of impatience in her throat, before she withdrew yet again, sitting back up to tug at her gloves, seemingly dissatisfied with the number of layers still between them.
"Hang on…" she muttered absently. "Let me get these off…"
9S stewed restlessly as he watched her, a terrible clashing of desires welling up inside him for her to either hurry along or to stop completely – anything to end the lingering torture of feeling her hips still slowly gyrating against his, seeing the sullen hunger in her eyes never leaving his, the slow captivating grace of her movements that flowed so easily into the next that it was hypnotic. The long white silk and feathered sleeves glided easily off of her arms, followed by the black latex gloves that lay underneath, to reveal a set of deceptively graceful fingers, each nail perfectly manicured to YoRHa's exacting standards. In spite of their diminutive size, the micro polymer actuators in her hands made them each strong enough to crush 12-gauge steel, and yet as her fingertips finally fell back to his chest, the way they danced over him was as soft and delicate as falling rose petals.
"Just tell me if this is going too far…" 2B whispered in a reassuring tone, fiddling with the hem of his undershirt. "Like you said, our first time should be special, so if you want me to slow down…"
9S looked up at her, nodding as he set his jaw.
"The girl I love just told me that she loved me back," he whispered happily. "I couldn't imagine more of a special occasion than that."
2B drew in a breath, her cheeks flushing scarlet as an elated smile emerged on her face.
"Oh, Nines…" she leaned down to kiss him again, sighing contently against his lips as she started to tear at his clothes with renewed enthusiasm.
9S began to shiver once again as she tugged off his undershirt, leaving his upper body completely unprotected from her keen ministrations. Her lips returned to his as her hands moved over him, tirelessly exploring every inch of skin exposed to the air. It was like she wanted to memorize every detail of his frame, his official schematic in her head paling in comparison to the tactile sensation of flesh beneath her hands. Overwhelmed by her roaming fingertips, 9S let his head fall back, eyes clenched shut, just so that he could focus on the feeling of those sensual touches.
Goosebumps rose all over 9S' skin as each of her nails inscribed her claim over every inch of him. Sensation flew across his body like electricity wherever she touched, making every muscle in his stomach clench in response. Then when her wandering fingertips grazed one of his nipples, he gasped involuntarily, his back suddenly arching as the tingling sensation was magnified even further.
"2-2B!" he whimpered, seizing her by the hips.
His eyes flew open to peer up at hers in a silent plea for mercy, but was met with a spellbound expression of fascination in return.
"Oh…" 2B whispered, seemingly just as surprised as he was by his reaction. "You're really sensitive, aren't you 9S?"
9S had to swallow to moisten his lips enough to speak.
"You think?" he gasped breathlessly, his own face flushed. "God, whatever you're planning on…"
His heart suddenly leapt into his throat when he saw her untying the sash around her waist that held her skirt in place, before abruptly stripping it off of herself and dropping it onto the growing pile of clothes on the floor.
"Holy…" he swallowed, eyes widening at the sight of the thin leotard that was now the only thing covering her lower body.
9S' hands moved on their own, settling on the bare skin of her legs, lily white and perfectly smooth, somehow evoking the feeling of soft pillowy clouds beneath his touch. 2B was blushing once again as he squeezed and caressed her body, seeming to bask in the warm glow of his admiration. He wrapped his arms around her waist, the fullness of her thighs far exceeding the breadth of his fingers, which practically sank into her pale skin like so much fallen snow. When taught, he knew that the corded carbon fiber muscles in her legs were capable of launching her 148-kilo frame more than twice her height. Yet now, with her body in such a relaxed state, her backside may have been more supple than a fully ripened peach.
Her cheeks grew warmer and warmer with his exploration, until her head tilted back, her eyes closing as she began to work her hips in slow steady motions, her fingers returning to their task of clawing at the skin of his chest. As the silky swell of her mound started rubbing up and down against his groin, 9S couldn't stop the pleading moans from escaping his lips. The smooth flowing movement of her pelvis was quickly bringing the agitation at the crux of his legs into sharp focus, and something in the back of his mind worried that the more fragile parts of his frame might break under such abuse. His concerns were quickly silenced by 2B's own shuddering moans as she continued to grind against him, bobbing her hips left and right with each pulse of movement. Now she was clearly biting her lip for an entirely different reason, and her eyes were closed in delight as her cheeks flushed bright red.
"Nines…" she purred, seemingly swept up in the rush of sensation building up beneath her pelvic floor.
"2B…" 9S withered under the sheer magnitude of her ministrations, his hands sliding up the sides of her body to close around her breasts through her velvety dress.
2B arched her back in response, pressing her chest into his touch, her jaw hanging open in a silent gasp of pleasure. She began moving her hips more quickly, her pace accelerating with need evident on her face. And as she did, 9S could feel the friction causing his own body to swell in return, the motions driving them closer and closer to the edge even through the layers of silk and leather between them.
"Please…" 9S stammered, feeling something billowing up inside his own body as it moved along with her. "Don't stop…"
"I…" 2B whimpered breathlessly, her face contorting in elation as she continued undulating on top of him. "…I can't stop!"
9S felt his mind going blank as the aching arousal in his pants continued to swell beneath the stimulation until he felt like he would burst before he even got his pants off. He reached down to fumble with the buckle, while at the same time 2B reached down to slide the gusset of her leotard to one side, exposing her sex. 9S didn't even have the presence of mind to appreciate the pink rosy petals that parted for him as she lifted up her hips. All he could do was clumsily yank his member free from his pants just in time for 2B to drop down on him once again, her slickened entrance swallowing him up completely before clamping down upon him in a vice-like grip.
Had they delayed a moment longer, they both may have climaxed well before their parts could connect. As it was, the instant 9S was inside her, they both went off simultaneously, the buildup of need and frustration over such a long period of abstinence and provocation all releasing at once. 9S suddenly felt something erupting from within, liquid pleasure gushing out of him in a series of bursts so powerful he nearly blacked out. And all at once, 2B was spasming as the first wave hit her, and each successive volley caused her to clench her muscles tightly around him, drawing still more from his quivering girth.
"Mmmmmmmmhhh!" she whimpered, voice rising as if in pain. "Niiiiines!"
9S had driven his feet and back so hard against the lumpy canvas bedroll that his hips had elevated above it, lifting 2B bodily off the mattress in an unconscious effort to drive his manhood as far into her as it could go.
"Ohhhhhhh!" he let out a howl of delight. "2B!"
The two of them clutched at one another in desperation as their bodies shook and convulsed together. Their systems were going haywire from this new and powerful sensation that filled them, the baser instincts latent in their lingering human programming seizing complete control in an instant. 9S felt his hips bucking of their own accord, driving his already hilted shaft more fully into 2B's glossy folds, and she was squeezing him by the shoulders, her eyes clenched and her head thrown back as her body shivered and shook as she remained tightly clamped around his erection.
They lay there, quaking and shuddering, completely lost in the feeling together, fingers clasped tightly about one another. Tidal waves of shock and awe had released through them both, leaving them at the mercy of their bodies' own feverish enervation as they rode out the storm of passion in shivering madness. And when the quavering spasms slowly began to subside, they both finally managed to open their eyes, meeting one another's gaze in a mixture of fascination, ardor and a little fear.
They both knew what they had done, just as they knew how taboo it was within YoRHa to entertain such foolish delusions. As androids, their bodies were designed to mimic their human creators, up to and including sexual relations. But this mimicry of humans only went so far, and nothing would ever result from such a conjoining. This had led to a great deal of strife amongst androids over time, with some choosing to copulate to their heart's content, while others chose to see the act as pointless and turned to lives of celibacy. Some even held that the impossible desire to bear children could turn sex into an addiction, causing androids to waste their lives away, scratching at an itch that would never heal and got worse with every attempt. In the face of all this, it was no wonder that YoRHa had strictly forbade such activities, although of course there were still plenty within their ranks who made discrete attempts anyway.
This had been their final defiance of YoRHa. After this, there could never be any going back, under any circumstances. Both androids had known this going into it; it was so obvious that it hadn't even bore mentioning. Yet now, after having taken that final step together, staring back at one another in breathless silence, there was an odd sense of vertigo that came from stepping into truly unfamiliar territory.
9S was still panting for breath as 2B laid her body down on top of him, her head resting beside his as they continued to stare at each other in stunned silence. He brought his arms up around her, embracing her feebly as he lay exhausted beneath her weight. She too was still breathing hard, their hips remaining linked together as they continued to lay there in stillness and contemplation, studying each other's faces, as if searching for any sign of doubt or hesitation. Both of their expressions were neutral, their two faces only betraying astonishment in the aftermath of their activities, their pupils still dilated from the overwhelming adrenaline high.
9S broke first, his mouth opening into a smile as a pithy but genuine laugh escaped his lips.
At his laughter, 2B also began to smile, her body shivering as she began to giggle along with him.
It was utterly absurd! On the one hand, the consummation of their relationship, while clumsy and awkward and horrifically imprudent, had still been well worth the wait. On the other hand, now that they were on the other side looking back on how long and how difficult a path it had taken for them to reach this point, it was impossible not to feel like they should have arrived at this juncture far sooner than they had. Despite having felt drawn towards each other from the time of their first meeting, it had taken a globe-spanning war, a mountain of corpses, years of self-sacrifice, a super intelligent machine virus, and now a reality-bending time loop for 9S and 2B to act on their feelings for each other.
9S just couldn't stop himself from laughing.
"What were we so worried about?" he blathered, still riding on a wave of euphoria. "That was amazing!"
"I don't know," 2B admitted just as cheerfully, cheeks still red. "But yes - amazing is…putting it mildly…"
9S' head flopped back onto the makeshift mattress, staring up at the wooden ceiling, his whole body still swimming in heated feelings of mirth.
"I can see how this could become a severe distraction during wartime," he thought idly, his hands stroking up and down 2B's back. "No wonder it was prohibited by YoRHa command. We wouldn't have ever gotten anything done."
"Oh good," 2B responded dryly, giving him a wry smile. "Glad to know I'm not the only one who wants to blow off our next mission and just lie here together for the rest of the recursion."
9S let out another breathy laugh, giving 2B a hopeful smile.
"I mean…we could, you know?" he offered hesitantly.
2B rolled her eyes, still evidently feeling the effects of an adrenaline rush.
"The goliaths will arrive in just a few hours, and if we don't stop them, they'll wreak havoc all across the city ruins, and we'll lose all our progress in this recursion," she said dourly. "Do you want to be the one to explain to A2 why we let the timeline get out of hand like that?"
9S blushed uncomfortably at the idea, clearing his throat in acquiescence. "Well, when you put it like that…"
2B smiled, reaching over to stroke his cheek, curling her fingers through his hair looking at him with a faced filled with adoration.
"We don't need to go right away," she allowed softly, appearing both shy and eager at the same time. "There is time for at least a little more dalliance…that is, if you are so inclined…"
9S was blushing all over again. After they had both collapsed in the afterglow, he had inadvertently slipped out of her as the two of them had caught their breath, his biorhythms slowly calming down after finally achieving release. But at 2B's words, he suddenly found himself going rigid all over again.
"I, uh…" 9S licked his lips, smiling nervously back at 2B's own flushed expression. "I think my…inclinations…are pretty clear by this point…"
2B rolled onto her side next to him to glance down at the arousal swelling at the crux of his legs, her eyes widening.
"A-Already?" she blinked in surprise, her gaze transfixed upon him. "Nines, I…I may need a few more minutes to…recompose myself…"
9S nodded weakly, his mouth already going dry once again. Androids didn't typically need to hydrate, but if they weren't able to transfer into new frames via the data terminals, then repeated forays like this might just make finding a source of drinking water a necessity.
2B's focus did not leave his groin, and 9S was struck by the sudden urge to cover himself.
"Do you have to keep staring at it like that?" he asked in an anxious voice, propping up his legs on the mattress with his knees bent on either side to offer some semblance of modesty.
2B's blush deepened and she returned her eyes to his, an apologetic look on her face.
"Sorry Nines…" she said, sounding surprisingly sheepish. "I've just…never seen one before…"
9S couldn't stop himself from glancing down at the damp spot at the base of her leotard. The elastic material had naturally drawn back to cover her maidenhood, but she was still visibly wet between her legs.
"Well…the…situation is mutual," he admitted shyly, lowering his gaze.
Of course the full schematics of every frame in YoRHa was available (and in some cases, even mandatory) for any unit to study in depth. 9S was already quite familiar with the blueprints, layout and material composition of 2B's body. But that was a far cry from seeing the real thing in person. He honestly wasn't sure if the two of them were even doing this whole thing right.
"Do you…um…" 2B interrupted his train of thought, looking away timidly. "Do you want to…um…?"
9S swallowed, his heart thudding in his chest as he tried not to imagine just what 2B was getting at that would make her so embarrassed after what they had just done. He was not used to seeing her so shy all the time. Quite the opposite, in fact - she had made a name for herself within YoRHa for being a bastion of fortitude and resolve. But ever since the two of them had broached the subject of a romantic relationship, 2B had become more and more visibly bashful whenever they were together like this.
"Do I want to…?" 9S prompted, just as red in the face as she was.
2B's eyes disappeared behind her hair as she brought her knees together.
"Do you…" she mumbled under her breath. "…Want to see me…?"
9S tried to swallow again and found that he couldn't. He tried again, and still couldn't. He settled for clearing his throat, looking away, beat red.
"I, uh…" he muttered awkwardly, before finding his voice. "Y-yeah! Of course I do!"
2B drew in her breath and she rose to her knees, wrapping her arms around her waist, taking several steadying breaths. At her response, 9S suddenly felt another irrational sense of worry that he had pushed her too far.
"I mean…if it's okay with-" he began.
"It's okay!" she stammered suddenly, still keeping her eyes laser focused on the mattress under her knees. "Just…give me a minute…"
9S finally managed a gulp as he watched 2B compose herself, breathing in and out in a slow and rhythmic manner as she knelt on the bed beside him. For as intense and forward as she had been mere minutes earlier, 9S thought it was odd that she would be so shy about something like this. Maybe now that the first dam had finally been breached, it was only just becoming clear to her what she was doing, and her inhibitions were suddenly starting to reappear. Or maybe she was just more confident while she was wearing her YoRHa uniform – the outfit certainly did more than its fair share in enhancing her appearance.
Whatever the reason for her apprehension, 2B eventually managed to reach behind her back and began to undo the zipper on her leotard.
"D-Don't look just yet," she said hurriedly. "Look away until I tell you, alright?"
9S gulped again, averting his eyes, using the opportunity to awkwardly pull his own shorts back up for the time being.
"O-Okay…" he stammered, heart in his throat, on the one hand grateful for a reprieve from the apprehension of the exhibition, while on the other hand increasingly curious of what he might see when he turned back.
He heard the gentle rustling of silk and nylon, and the low and delicate exhalations of 2B's breathing as she twisted her arms out of her costume. Out of the corner of his eye, 9S could vaguely make out the shape of her shifting around to slide the leotard down her legs, getting the distinct impression of it catching on one of her stiletto heels before she finally got it off of herself completely. Then the quiet shuffling sounds were suddenly punctuated by the long slow whizzing noise of another zipper being drawn, and 9S swallowed again as he realized that she was taking off her boots as well.
A second zipper droned low and halting, as if deliberately leaving 9S in suspense for an eternity, until finally there was a gentle clunk-clunk as the pair of heeled boots were deposited on the floor.
"O-Okay, Nines," 2B said in a breathy voice. "Y-You can look now…"
When his eyes fell upon her again, she was kneeling exactly as she had before, only now she had on only a pair of knee high stockings that clung to her legs like a coat of paint. Her nether region was modestly hidden between her thighs, but the rest of her creamy white skin was utterly bare and as pale as a porcelain doll. Her hands were resting on her thighs, fingers clenched nervously into fists, and her crystal blue eyes remained downturned as she bit her lip under his scrutiny. Her build was lithe and slim, the skin of her stomach toned only by a row of deceptively understated abdominal muscles, her petite breasts ending in stiff peaks under the cool air of the shaded room. Her posture was as statuesquely poised as it was militarily crisp, her legs folded in a flawless seiza position. Even the hair on her head looked like there was not a single strand out of place.
Everything about 2B reflected the utter perfection of YoRHa's immaculate standards. Had a god molded the ideal female form out of clay, it could not have surpassed her by any significant margin. And all at once, 9S understood why she was so nervous.
This was her. Underneath this expertly crafted shell was a girl with all of the same wants, needs, thoughts and feelings as any other. Her skin was no more or less a part of her than her sword. While it did not define her, it was still an expression of who she was. And now, she was sharing that part of herself – a part of her over which she had very little control, yet was as fundamental to her identity as mass was to matter. This idealized simulacrum of a human body was not 2B – and yet, at the same time, it was 2B. 2B's body was an important part of her. Not because YoRHa had calculated its every curve down to the last micron, but because it belonged to her. She had lived in it. Seen through those eyes, held things with those hands, imparted her will upon the world using all of the strength it had leant her. Her body was the primary tool through which 2B interacted with her world.
How was she to reconcile this discrepancy when it was laid bare to him in such a fashion? How was he to respond to such a revelation? To share this part of herself – as an ornament of beauty designed by objective and scientific precision, but also as a projection of her innermost being – was to make herself as vulnerable as she could possibly be.
The same was true for him as well, though for 9S it did not hold nearly so much import. Every trait he possessed was a product both of his creation and his development over time in equal measure. One could not dictate the circumstances of their creation, but common wisdom told that it was what one did with those circumstances that was the true measure of an individual. Some were simply more or less gifted in their circumstances than others, and that was not something that 9S could do anything about here and now. But what he could do was choose how he regarded those gifts. And so he decided to see 2B's otherworldly allure the same way he saw 2B herself.
As a gift.
"You're beautiful, 2B…" 9S said with a wistful smile, as genuine as he had ever made.
A sound that was both a laugh and a sob escaped her lips as he moved to kiss her, and she melted into his arms like so much butter.
9S lost track of time after that point, confident that Pod 153 would alert him in the event of any disturbances. He instead focused all of his attention on 2B and all the ways in which he might please her, and she him. There was as much awkwardness as there was exhilaration, but every failed experiment was consistently followed by laughter. She brought him to climax three more times, and experienced at least twice that many herself – it was hard to keep track. And every new discovery awakened new desires and new avenues for future exploration.
As cool as the room had been when they had entered, it had substantially risen in temperature by the time the two of them lay side by side once again gasping for breath. Both of them were completely naked, and had been for some time, sweat dripping from their faces as the intensity of their breathing subsided. 9S would definitely need to look into securing a source of drinking water, he thought absently, as he stroked 2B's hair.
"Do we…" 2B said in a panting breath, eyes full of mirth "Do we have time to…try anything more…?"
9S had to laugh at that. This one single recursion had made almost every other recursion up until this one worth the trouble. And from the sound of it, 2B was as loath to let it come to an end as he was.
"Let's see…" he breathed, glancing at his internal chronometer.
Then he double checked his instruments to make sure they weren't off somehow. If there had been any hint of seismic tremors in the distance, he certainly hadn't detected them.
"Uhh…I, uh…hrmm…" he muttered absently. "That's…odd."
2B was busy running her fingernails in tiny circles over 9S' chest. "What is it?"
9S blinked, unable to even appreciate her ministrations. "We're well past the point where the goliaths showed up in the original timeline. They should have started attacking over an hour ago."
2B furrowed her brow. "Perhaps something we did differently this time has altered their timetable as well? Pascal did warn us that changes like this could result from our actions."
9S shook his head, dismissing the thought. It was more than just the goliaths' absence that concerned him.
"Pod!" he called out to 153 outside the door, sitting up on the bed. "Has there been any communication from YoRHa Command?"
A moment later, Pod 153 floated in through the window on the other side of the room, having evidently flown over the roof to get to an entrance it could use.
"No new communication to report at this time," the support unit replied simply.
9S drew in a breath. That was truly concerning.
"What's wrong?" 2B asked, sitting up to peer at him in trepidation.
9S pulled up a holographic display of recent readings, checking every data point he could find.
"We've not only passed the point where the goliaths should have appeared, but we've also passed YoRHa's regular check-in call."
2B slowly nodded, her eyes flickering in realization as she evidently recalled Operator 6O's tearful video call seeking consolation after her own romantic woes. How naïve they had all been back then, 9S thought absently.
"They operate like clockwork up there," he said, finding nothing of substance in any of his data readings. "What could we have possibly done down here to alter the timetable from their end?"
2B pursed her lips in contemplation. "Surely there must be some rational explanation."
9S nodded, dismissing his holographic loadout and slowly climbing to his feet.
"Either way, I think we need to get back to the resistance camp," he said, pulling his clothes back on one piece at a time. "I have a theory…"
2B only nodded, though her troubled expression did not abate as she too began to get dressed. Once they were both geared up, the two of them exited the small room and made their way towards the entrance of the village.
Before leaving, however, they passed by Pascal once more.
"Hello again," the cordial machine said once he caught sight of them. "I hope the accommodations were to your liking. Did you have a restful stay?"
2B looked uneasy at the question, but 9S had something else on his mind.
"Pascal," he pressed, no nonsense in his voice. "Do you still have that fuel filter for Anemone?"
Pascal actually blinked in surprise. "Why…yes, I do. I suppose she would still technically need that right about now, wouldn't she? Here…"
The machine reached into a wicker woven basket along the wall and withdrew the requested item, offering it to 9S.
"Please take it to her with my compliments," Pascal said politely.
2B stared oddly at the proffered filter, though 9S took it without hesitation.
"Thanks," he said, stuffing it into his inventory. "We'll be back soon."
2B was giving 9S a puzzled look as she followed him out of the village, though it was less clear now that their YoRHa visors were once again affixed to both of their faces.
"What was that all about?" she asked skeptically.
"My theory," 9S explained as he quickened his pace along the rocky trail next to the ravine, "Is that we're not on a timetable at all. If I'm right, it could change the entire rationale for how we complete each of our missions in this time loop."
2B's skeptical tone did not change as she kept pace with him. "What do you mean?"
9S slid to a halt as they came to the wall that sealed off the front entrance of Pascal's village, taking a moment to grab hold of the scrap metal block that sealed the entrance and slowly push it out of the way.
"It means," he explained, stepping through the gate as he turned to walk out towards the city ruins, "That we should be getting a call from Operator 6O right about…"
He hadn't taken three steps after passing through the metal barricade before the holographic video call chimed from a projection emitting from Pod 153's holo-lens.
"Operator…6O to…2B…" the android on the other line sniffed, tears evident in her voice. "Time for your regularly scheduled contact…"
2B stared at 9S, jaw agape as they both listened to 6O break down into a pitiful bout of sobbing.
"Um…" she said, before remembering she was still on a video call. "2B here. What's…what's wrong?"
9S drew in an uneasy breath as the two of them listened to the Operator regale them with her misfortunes. 2B appeared to be completely at a loss for what this meant for them, and thus seemingly unable to recall how she had responded to this sob story the last time.
"Umm…" she began after 6O had ended her tirade. "You could…maybe try…asking somebody else to go out with you instead? After all, there are…plenty of fish in the sea…as the saying goes…"
9S bit his tongue as he tried not to interrupt. Now that 2B had gained a far broader perspective on the subject of her own feelings, she was naturally responding to 6O's emotional plight with much deeper consideration. Which of course resulted in a very different outlook from what she had in the original timeline. It was still 2B's call to make, but 9S suspected that if the curt and dismissive response she had made the first time had evoked an endearing reaction from the flighty YoRHa operator, then there was a good chance that a well-meaning if generic response might have just the opposite effect.
"I can't do that!" Operator 6O cried again, more in frustration this time. "I couldn't be happy with just anyone! She was the only one for me! Oh 2B, what was I thinking, coming to you for romantic advice!? I should have asked 9S or 21O or…heck, maybe even the Commander!"
2B looked taken aback by the operator's indignant tone. "Wh-what? Wait a minute…"
6O was not finished whining it seemed.
"How could I be so stupid?" she bawled. "I'm so sick of this! I can't stand one more day in this stupid bunker! I just don't think I can go on living! I think I'm just going to end things right here!"
A look of alarm suddenly spread across 2B's features. "Operator 6O, wait!"
The operator just continued sobbing.
"I won't be a bother to you anymore, 2B," she whimpered in a hopeless tone. "If you hear from a different operator on your next call, you'll know why. Operator 6O out."
Panic filled 2B's voice as she struggled to recall the words that she had used last time. "W-Wait, don't go! You…you leaving would effect-"
The channel closed before 2B could finish her sentence.
"-Mission…efficiency…" she said helplessly, remembering her lines far too late.
9S wrinkled his nose at that, drawing in a defeated breath. There was no helping the situation with Operator 6O. That would resolve itself in the next recursion at any rate. He was just glad that the call had reached them and not A2. Whenever he hacked their Pods at the beginning of each recursion, one of the patches he installed would automatically and covertly route calls to the other Pod in the event that either unit had been assigned to A2, or indeed anyone else. It was a good thing he had, or YoRHa command would have taken note of its unauthorized reassignment, and possibly put them on the trail to hunting down A2, which would be a terrific way to put the recursion to an abrupt end. He hadn't fully tested the patch before this point, so he hadn't been a hundred percent certain it would work. And of course, nothing he did could possibly help matters if YoRHa command simply decided to ping the Pod directly at any point.
They would just have to cross that bridge when they came to it. For the moment, they had bigger things to worry about.
"Well, that was disturbing for…a variety of reasons…" he allowed, crossing his arms as the two of them stood there, adjacent to the ravine. "But it confirms my theory. Our actions are triggering at least some of the events in this time loop. These occurrences are not set in stone according to a predetermined schedule. I don't think the goliaths are going to show up until we deliver this fuel filter and return to the village. The simulation, or whatever it is that we're in, is responding to us just as we respond to it."
2B gave one last helpless look at the empty space where her holographic video call had just been moments earlier, before letting out an aggravated sigh.
"So what does that mean for us, exactly?" she asked in frustration. "That we can go about our missions as quickly or as slowly as we please?"
"That," 9S nodded, scratching his cheek in thought. "Plus, now I'm seriously reconsidering my stance on just how many participants in this time loop are actually real. If they were all data copies of YoRHa androids like us, they would be acting of their own accord with or without our involvement. But if they're just sitting around and waiting for us to prompt them for a pre-determined set of responses…"
2B chewed on her lip in consternation. "Damn this time loop…that conversation just now certainly sounded real. Are you saying that everyone we talk to is just…reading lines off of a script like automatons? That Anemone and the Commander and my flight team are just…?"
9S felt a pang of remorse as he saw 2B suddenly sit down on one of the rocky outcroppings along the edge of the ravine, resting her arms on her knees.
"2B?" 9S asked, sitting beside her, a look of trepidation on his face.
Her face was contorted in exasperation beneath her mask.
"How are we supposed to figure out who is simply a tool for the enemy and who isn't?" she demanded in an irritated voice. "How can we be sure that we aren't already just tools ourselves? Would it even matter if we were? It's not like there's even anything for us to go back to if we ever escape anyway."
9S put a hand on her shoulder, stroking tenderly.
"Come on 2B, don't talk like that," he said in a voice that he hoped didn't sound as shaky as he felt. "That's just the machines trying to get to you. You don't really believe any of that."
2B hung her head, neither in agreement nor in denial.
"Sometimes I wonder…" she blew out another tired breath.
9S watched her stew in her doubts, feeling powerless to allay her fears as he continued to stroke her shoulders. After the thrill of confessing to her and reveling in the tumult that had followed, he felt more connected to 2B than ever before. But it seemed he was still unable to console her when the horrid reality of their situation threatened to overwhelm her. In truth, he was at a loss himself. What did this all mean for their plans to escape the time loop? If certain events could literally be triggered according to a predetermined set of responses, then their options could very well be quite limited.
A thought occurred to him as he looked up at his Pod and remembered that 042 was still missing.
"Hey," he said softly. "Should we check in on A2? I mean, it's been a while, and she still has your Pod. Maybe…maybe she'll be able to provide some perspective on all this."
2B looked unconvinced but nodded her head, still not standing. "Okay."
9S wanted to say something else to comfort her, but nothing sprang to mine. So he called over to 153.
"Pod," he commanded. "Establish a secure connection with Pod 042 and open a channel."
"Executing command," the little droid said.
Another floating video screen appeared before 9S, revealing A2's bored looking expression. It looked like she was lying down on a tree branch and just now waking up from a nap.
"Oh hey," she said nonchalantly. "You guys finished yet?"
For a moment, 9S forgot himself and thought that A2 was poking fun at his and 2B's awkward attempts at courtship again.
"…Finished with what?" he asked a little too quickly.
A2 shrugged noncommittally.
"The pacifist village?" she said, before giving him a coy look. "Why, were you two up to something else? You sure took your sweet time while you were there."
Color began to creep into 9S' cheeks yet again.
"No, no, we're…we're done there…" he said, before clearing his throat. "Actually, that reminds me – Pascal is aware of the time loop. He told us how he's been watching things play out for the last dozen recursions or so."
A2's eyes widened as she appeared to sit up from her lounging position. "What?"
9S nodded emphatically.
"Yeah, he's just been…going about his day, watching things play out each time," he said, before furrowing his brow in concern. "He seemed to know a bit about you as well, A2. What exactly happened between you and Pascal, anyway?"
A2's expression soured as she looked away.
"Could we…not…talk about it, actually?" she said bitterly, brow furrowed anxiously. "You'd be doing me a solid."
9S let out a breath
"Ok, well…" he said hesitantly. "I just thought you should know, at least. Anyway, we're out of the village now. Where are you?"
"The forest," A2 replied, climbing to her feet as she appeared to jump down from her tree branch. "Figured it didn't really matter what I did until the goliaths showed up. I don't hear anything stomping around though, so I'm guessing the party hasn't started up again yet? I steered well clear of that mess in the original timeline, but I'm assuming you'll need my help this time around, huh? Or am I off the hook for this one?"
9S took another breath as he finished sorting through his thoughts.
"Here's the thing," he said, a note of morbid humor creeping into his voice. "I think we can trigger the goliath attack anytime we want."
A2's eyebrows shot up at that, and she listened in fascination as 9S described their latest findings.
"We can either give it a few more hours to be on the safe side," he finished, "Or we can test our theory by completing our delivery to the resistance camp and then going back to the village."
A2 was silent for a few ponderous moments, before letting out an enthusiastic huff.
"You know what this means, right?" she asked simply.
9S shrugged his shoulders, glancing over to check on his partner, who still had not moved from where she sat.
"That we can take all the time we need between missions to rest up?" he supplied bitterly. "Or that there's a good chance that every other person we meet is probably little more than a puppet on strings?"
A2 rolled her eyes. "Come on, 9S. We knew that last part already. No, what I mean is, we can totally game the system now!"
"Really?" 9S raised an eyebrow. "How do you figure?"
"Think about it," A2 continued. "With your combat data, you already have a near-perfect recording of each and every event from the original timeline. Hell, we've already had your Pods map them out according to relevance and potential causes and effects."
9S glanced at 2B, who raised her head to look at him as she listened.
"Yeah, so?" he retorted. "That still doesn't make it any easier to get through them all."
"Of course it does!" A2 countered. "You already know exactly what's going to happen in each individual mission! And now that we know that we can take our sweet time getting to each one, we have all the time in the world now to prepare ourselves. We can stock up on whichever specific items, weapons and command chips we'll need for each encounter. If we play this right, it'll be a walk in the park!"
2B nodded slowly at that, and even 9S had to agree that it did make sense. But only if the events they triggered were all they had to worry about.
"What about branching pathways?" 9S asked. "The only reason we didn't get anywhere with that flowchart was that we couldn't predict all of the potential outcomes from unforeseen events."
"But if specific events are going to be triggered by the same actions no matter how we arrive at them, then that effectively means that there are no other branching pathways!" A2 said in challenge. "Think of how complicated the time loop would have to be to process every possible scenario that would occur if the three of us went off on our own or something! It would be much simpler if events were just being triggered according to a pre-determined list of actions like you described! The time loop must be trying to replicate events as they actually happened, not as they could have happened!"
9S furrowed his brow as he thought back to all the things they had done differently up until this point.
"But we have made some changes," he said.
"Nothing big," A2 scoffed. "You survived the factory mission. That's about the biggest change so far. Everything else has been pretty minor by comparison. Those four key events that you pointed out earlier? The ones where we encounter Adam and Eve? I'm thinking that all four of them are going to end up at almost exactly the same result, no matter what we do - even when we completely blow them off. We wouldn't have been able to move onto that machine songstress otherwise."
9S scratched his head with both hands, trying to think of some way to dispute what A2 was saying.
"We blew up the factory in the very first recursion!" he declared. "That's about as big as it gets, and nothing like that ever happened in the original timeline!"
A2's expression grew a tad darker. "And then the two of you were promptly vaporized afterward. What does that tell you?"
9S' eyes widened beneath his visor. "What?"
A2 offered him a crooked smile. "I'm going to go out on a limb here and guess that you probably predicted that you could easily outrun that explosion when you were first thinking up that plan, right? And yet somehow, despite your best calculations, you ended up getting caught in the blast anyway."
Now 9S was truly growing concerned. "There were…a lot of variables in that plan."
"You're pretty lousy at a lot of things, shorty, but math is not one of them," A2 shook her head, giving him a pitying look. "Run the scenarios in your head again for each previous recursion, and tell me you shouldn't have won at least a few of them."
9S felt a wave of dizziness overcome him as the truth began to become more and more apparent.
"You…you don't think…?" he breathed, throwing a worried glance at 2B.
"Sounds to me like the fucktards running this time loop don't want to let us off the hook so easily," A2 nodded grimly. "Anything we do that strays too far from the original timeline will ultimately end in our death, no matter how contrived, regardless of what we do."
Now it was 9S' turn to sit down. If what A2 was saying was true, then whatever options they might have thought were available to them in this world were simply an illusion. It wasn't just the people who were reciting pre-determined responses for them, but literally every occurrence in the entire world.
"…Fuck," he muttered sullenly.
A2 seemed utterly indifferent to this revelation.
"Really though, this just proves what I thought all along," she continued. "There's a right way to do this. A version of events where everything is done correctly to maximize our chances of success. Maybe not a version where we actually win the war, but at least one where all three of us get out of it alive."
At her words, 2B finally rose to her feet to step into view of the video screen over 9S' hunched shoulders.
"A2," she said bluntly, "There is a flaw with your logic."
A2 gave the other combat unit an odd stare. "Which is?"
2B's expression remained neutral as 9S braced himself for what he knew she was about to say.
"There were already branching pathways in the original timeline," she said bluntly. "Your fight with 9S at the top of the machine tower. It ended with two entirely different outcomes."
A2's expression was impossible to read.
"What are you talking about?" she asked, sounding flippant. "That's impossible."
"Don't insult me by feigning ignorance," 2B said coldly. "You yourself described two entirely separate events. One where 9S slew you and fell on your sword, and another where you were the victor and hacked into his head with Pod's aid. I saw both of these events play out when I was in there myself."
A2 was silent as she drew in a breath, opening her mouth as if to reply, before closing it again when nothing came out. Meanwhile, 9S was glancing nervously between his partner and the screen, hoping that she hadn't just kicked a hornet's nest. 2B, for her part, simply continued undeterred.
"Now I don't really care why you were keeping this from us," she said, steel in her voice. "You clearly have some baggage to deal with, and that's your business – though we are here to listen if you need. But what worries me more is what this branching pathway entails for us here in the time loop. Was it some sort of simulation? Were you hacked? Or were the two of you already in the time loop by that point? And that brings me to my next question…"
2B withdrew the sash covering her eyes so she could see the expression on A2's face more clearly.
"How did you get into this time loop with us exactly, A2?" she asked accusingly. "The logic virus affected me and 9S, but not you. The machine I spoke to in 9S' mainframe claims that he and I are their only test subjects. Which makes you quite an anomaly, it seems."
2B's expression darkened as A2 remained silent under her scrutiny.
"Have I made my concerns sufficiently clear to you, A2, or shall I spell them out in greater detail?"
The look in 2B's eyes was utterly chilling. If 9S could have found a way to weaponize his own nervous sweat, he could have probably won the war. But eventually A2 drew in a breath and raised her hand up, gesturing her readiness to speak.
"It's…complicated…" she said in a defeated tone.
"Simplify it for me," 2B snapped.
"There is no simple explanation for this, 2B," A2 groaned. "Heck, I don't even understand most of it myself. Look, I get that you don't have any reason to trust me, but all that really means is that nothing I tell you will make any of this make sense to you!"
9S was glancing cautiously between 2B and the holographic video screen, unsure if there was anything he could say that would steer the conversation anywhere helpful. He felt trapped between an unstoppable force and an immoveable object, and feared that he could only get caught in the crossfire from where he was sitting.
2B finally released an angry breath.
"Fine," she said stonily. "Tell us what you do know then, and maybe we'll still be able to work together after this."
A2 cleared her throat uneasily. "There's…not much to tell, really. As far as I know, that machine you spoke to was correct. You and the kid are the machines' primary subjects. They don't give a shit about what happens to me. You're the only ones they seem to care about."
2B remained as still as a statue. "So you spoke to them too?"
"Adam had me locked up for a while before you arrived in that pit," A2 explained. "When I couldn't break free, I tried to talk my way out. Didn't really get much beyond that though. All I know is that they're really interested in you two specifically for some reason."
2B nodded pensively. "And you? What are you exactly?"
A2 hesitated at that, looking uneasy. "I…I don't really know. I thought that I was like you, but…if you're saying that the machine virus is what copied our memories into the simulation, then…well, maybe I don't know what I am after all. Maybe the machines rebuilt my data from the ground up, using you and 9S' memories of me as a baseline. Who can say?"
2B crossed her arms, seemingly unsure of whether to believe A2 or not. 9S remained silent – A2 certainly sounded genuine to him, but that could all just be a clever ploy. If she was some kind of machine agent, she would have access to all the tools that they did, and would be able to project whatever appearance and mannerism she chose to achieve any response from them that she desired. She could have calculated how they would react to her on an emotional level that would be all but impossible for their comparatively limited android brains to quantify. So even if A2's words resonated with them in any way, 9S knew as well as 2B did that they would need more solid proof than that alone to believe her.
Of course, it was also entirely possible that A2 herself genuinely believed what she was saying because she was programmed to believe it. If he and 2B were the only full copies and A2 was purely a simulation created by the machines, then it was possible that the gaps in her combat data, which he and 2B had assumed were her own private redactions, could have been actual gaps that the machines simply didn't know about A2 before the time loop.
And in either scenario, the question remained - why was she even here in the first place?
"Okay, so did those two branching pathways actually happen?" 2B demanded, changing subjects. "How could they both seem to exist at the same time?"
9S could see A2 rubbing her forehead through the screen.
"I didn't get a chance to grill Adam about that part," she admitted. "But the best theory I've come up with so far is that they were both equal possibilities according to the machines' best calculations. They were able to predict everything that happened to us right up until that point, but the outcome of that final battle was effectively a coin toss. And maybe since now we're all just data in a machine simulation, we're able to catch glimpses of both possibilities. Our memories are just more data after all, and either turn of events might be easier for us to swallow depending on our frame of mind as we recall things."
"So in other words, it's possible that neither outcome actually happened?" 2B let out a breath of consternation. "And that's assuming that anything that happened before that point wasn't also just another simulation."
"Don't forget," A2 pointed out. "Literally all of our memories could be out and out fabrications. We could be having this debate for no other reason than because some machine deliberately planted those memories there to create confusion for us. But 2B…"
A2 leaned in a bit closer to the screen.
"We have to put our faith in something for the time being," she explained. "If we can't trust the ground beneath our feet, we can't even put one foot in front of the other, much less accomplish anything else. Even if none of what we believe turns out to be true, we still have to act at some point. And we can only act if we believe in at least something, if only for now. And if it turns out we're wrong later, then we need to be prepared to adjust our views accordingly and then keep going. We have to have the confidence to act based on what we know, and to forgive ourselves in hindsight when some crucial piece of information only becomes available later. Right now though, all we can do is take the best course of action based on the information available to us."
2B was quiet for a while after that, and even 9S had to pause to think over her words. It was a philosophy that more or less described their outlook over this whole time loop, but it could just as easily have expanded outward to encompass their entire existence from beginning to end. He wondered briefly about what 2B had suggested – that the simulation went back not just to the beginning of the time loop, but to the beginning of…well…everything they knew. Like A2 said, their memories were little more than raw data, so it was entirely possible that none of their memories from beyond the time loop had ever happened. Their lives leading up until that point could all have just been some tale the machines had invented for them to follow along with. For all they knew, 2B and 9S might never have actually existed in the first place.
He had to remind himself what 2B had said to Adam, what he himself had realized as he had confessed his feelings to her – that none of that mattered now. It did not matter how they got there, where they came from, or what they had been before this moment. It did not matter if they did not even technically exist by one definition or another. The two of them existed here, in this moment, by the only definition that mattered to them. How far that existence extended into the future, or indeed the past, or what shape they resembled in either case, was irrelevant. The two of them there were alive, they were together, and they were in love. That was all that mattered.
2B finally let out a resigned breath, the hostility leaving her voice.
"You're still hiding something from us, A2," she said simply. "That much is clear. Maybe you've been hacked or are acting under duress, maybe you're a creation of the machines and don't know any better, or maybe you're just having a laugh at our expense…but until we know for certain, we can't place our faith in any information you provide for us. I'm sorry, but your word is no better than Adam's right now."
A look of annoyed acceptance spread across A2's face.
"I'm not asking you to trust me, 2B," she said. "Just don't let your suspicion of me distract you from the real threat."
"I want to trust you, A2," 2B said, sounding surprisingly sincere. "I always have. But until you start trusting us too…it's never going to happen."
A2 closed her eyes and sighed.
"I'm not used to…needing to rely on other people," she admitted. "Working with others has usually ended poorly for me. And for those around me."
2B nodded, seeming to gleam something that 9S could not. "If you do ever decide that you need someone to talk to…about Pascal or…anything…then we'll listen. If that's what it takes for you to trust us with the truth, then we'll be here."
9S was watching his partner in fascination now. Somehow the conversation had veered from an accusatory interrogation into a heartfelt consolation in the blink of an eye. The two of them must have more in common than either of them realized if it took so little for them to get on the same page like that. He supposed that it also wasn't the ideal option to immediately categorize A2 as their enemy once again. Not without at least attempting to mend the fragile bridge that had been slowly forming between them. Especially considering that the three of them were likely the last remnants of their kind, for whatever that was worth.
And like 2B, he did genuinely hope that A2 would become their ally at some point, regardless of how either of them felt about the realism of that goal. As vehemently opposed as he had been to A2 in the past, he had to admit that his feelings of animosity had cooled substantially since then. His main emotion towards her at this point was curiosity. She was a mystery to be solved, one just as enigmatic as the time loop itself. And now it seemed that those two mysteries could very well be inextricably linked.
"I'll…think about it…" A2 said, the hint of color on her cheeks. "For now though, just tell me where you need me to be in order to help you fight those goliaths. Do you want me at the resistance camp, or as a lookout somewhere in the city ruins, or…?"
And just like that, they were right back to business. 9S mused at her choice of words; she had specifically asked only what role she was to perform rather than what the overall plan was, so as not to further evoke their suspicion. She knew the score, it seemed. Only now, A2 was in the process of mending bridges herself by trying to be more helpful than usual. It would have been oddly endearing if it weren't so off-putting, to say nothing of the undercurrent of hostility that still lingered after their previous conversation.
"I'd say to stay where you are for now," 2B said tersely. "We'll be going back to Pascal's village after we stop by the resistance camp, and you're clearly uncomfortable with that place, so no point in forcing you to go there now. We'll contact you before we arrive to work out a strategy then."
A2 slowly nodded. "And your Pod? Do you want him back or do you still want him spying on me?"
9S raised his eyebrow at that. She had clearly been aware that 2B had been mistrustful of her for a while now, it seemed. He could still hear Pod 042's voice over the video call responding to A2's words.
"This platform does not identify as either male or female…" it began.
"Keep it for now," 2B said, interrupting her support unit's complaint. "As long as we're split up like this, one Pod per group makes the most sense."
A2 nodded again. "Roger that then, I guess. See you when I see you."
She hung up the call, and the two androids released a long pent up breath.
"Maybe a little warning next time you pull something like that?" 9S asked in a bedraggled voice. "My nerves can only handle so much tension!"
2B offered an apologetic look. "You had to know the subject was going to come up as soon as you decided to call A2."
"I guess," 9S admitted. "And it was probably best to broach the subject on a video call rather than in person. If things had taken a hostile turn, the distance between us could have made all the difference."
2B nodded her head. "Let us simply be thankful that it did not come to that."
9S nodded, letting out another exhausted sigh. As difficult as it was to navigate this time loop, it would have been exponentially more so if they also had to be worried about being attacked by A2 while doing so. Especially if she had somehow been granted all of the powers that Adam wielded on top of it – that would have fallen squarely into the 'worst case scenario' category, if ever there was one.
"So I guess we just play things by ear with A2 for now?" 9S asked sardonically.
2B slowly rose to her feet, dusting her dress off.
"Much the same way we've been dealing with the time loop as a whole, it seems," she said with a wry smirk as she turned to offer him a hand up. "I know I've never been much for making plans, but if you had any brilliant insights you were holding back to impress me with later, I promise to act very impressed if you decided to share them with me now."
9S returned her smile as he accepted her hand, letting her pull him to his feet.
"All I've got is more meaningless conjecture, I'm afraid," he said ruefully. "But hey, at least now if we ever need a breather, we can just kick back and relax between missions for as long as we want."
2B sighed, shaking her head. "I doubt the machines will make it that easy for us. Remember, at least some events – such as anything involving Adam and Eve – still seem to happen whether we trigger them or not. And none of this holds any bearing on that first factory mission."
9S shook his head, stepping over to her to slip both of his hands into hers.
"Still," he smiled at her, squeezing her hands and gently swaying them back and forth as he did. "It's not like we won't have time for…other things…"
She blushed shyly as he leaned in to kiss her, but closed her eyes and returned it all the same. And when they parted, her eyes had a bit more of their old fire in them.
"You're going to be utterly impossible to deal with from now on, aren't you?" she asked in a derisive tone with a raised eyebrow.
"No, no, wouldn't dream of it…" 9S replied coyly, smiling even wider, before leaning in to kiss her again.
Before he could land the kiss, however, 2B wrestled her hands free from his grasp and playfully pushed him away with a gentle shove.
"I guess I should have known better than to give in to your sweet talk so easily," she teased defiantly. "I'll just have to keep you on a tighter leash now."
"Hmm…a leash," 9S mused, unable to resist the innuendo. "Now there's an idea for something to try later…"
"Oh my god…" 2B groaned helplessly, retying the YoRHa visor around her eyes. "Can we go now, please?"
9S couldn't help the laugh that escaped his lips as he followed suit, chasing after 2B as she made her way towards the resistance camp. Despite the grim circumstances, a significant part of him was still riding the adrenaline high of having spent the last few hours finding out just what his partner was capable of without any inhibitions holding her back. He didn't know if he would ever be able to articulate just how lucky he felt, even then. Certainly any number of the other scout units back at YoRHa would have traded places with him in an instant. Especially if the incessant speculation he had received as to the nature of his relationship with 2B had been any indication. He never would have had the courage to tease and flirt with her like that, to say nothing about confessing his feelings as he had. If any of his friends from back in the day could see them now, he wondered what they would think.
Thinking back to his comrades from YoRHa brought back the memory of 6O, and how desperate she had sounded over the video call. He didn't know if she would really try to end her life after she had hung up – and the real tragedy was, even if she did, YoRHa would have simply created another copy of her, and either reassigned her or stuck her back in the exact same role under probation. And that wasn't even getting into the fact that the time loop itself would reset everything back to where it had always been at that exact point in time.
As the two of them arrived at the resistance camp to deliver Pascal's fuel filter to Anemone, 9S looked around at all of the androids, some of them former YoRHa members, but most simply soldiers who had fought against the machines in previous eras and had either washed out or were too stubborn to quit. He used to see these people as the misfortunate ones, who could only dream to achieve what they in YoRHa had accomplished. But how many of the androids here in the resistance camp ever felt so stifled by their mission parameters that they weren't even free to be with the ones the cared about, like 6O? As an Operator in such close proximity to the Commander, the maximum amount of intimacy that would ever be possible for her probably consisted of hand-holding at the very most. But she had still considered suicide as a preferable alternative to being denied even so chaste a relationship.
If only 9S had known then what he knew now, it would have been so much more clear to him that it was these androids down here on the ground, apart from YoRHa, that were truly the lucky ones. And he had only to think of how he felt about 2B, and how his relationship with her had evolved up to this point now, to remind him of this fact.
Their errand complete, 2B and 9S rode on moose-back once again towards Pascal's village. The two androids would have shared a single mount if they could, but their dense metal frames were too much for even so massive an animal to carry two at once, so they each rode separately, as per usual.
"So, speaking of plans…" 9S said as the two beasts carried them across the city ruins. "Any ideas for how to take on the next two goliaths? It's a pretty safe bet that they'll be stronger than before, and I doubt our 'hack-and-self-destruct' strategy will work with two of them fighting side by side."
"I've been thinking about that myself," 2B affirmed as she rode, still taking the lead. "Technically we'll have backup in the form of other YoRHa combat units, but…"
"…But we probably won't be able to rely on them, since they're most likely just acting according to pre-scripted roles," 9S finished the thought for her. "If I had to guess, the other YoRHa androids will basically be participating in a choreographed battle simulation, which will either end in defeat, or simply remain at a perpetual standstill. The fight will only conclude if the two of us specifically can change the tide of battle."
"Right," 2B said sourly. "And worst of all, their presence means it'll be difficult for A2 to offer any sort of assistance. As loathe as I am to place any trust in her, I'm pretty sure she is still one of the only people in this time loop who can make any meaningful difference."
9S nodded. A2's meditation on having something tangible to place their faith in may have sounded like a trite cop-out, but he could still see her words becoming reality as the two of them found themselves forced to rely on her once again.
"In the heat of battle, A2 could easily escape notice, or slip away afterward if someone spots her," 9S pointed out.
"She'd still be putting herself on YoRHa's radar," 2B shook her head. "It would be a problem if a lucky assassin unit took her out prematurely. Remember what she told us – if we deviate too far from the original timeline, the machines may arbitrarily nudge the outcome of events in order to kill us and reset the time loop."
9S pursed his lips at her words. "We don't know that for sure…"
2B looked uneasy as the wind continued to tousle her hair as they neared their destination.
"The only direct form of interference we've witnessed on the part of the machines has been from Adam and the girl in red," she said. "But we've also seen clear signs of more indirect forms of interference as well."
9S drew in a breath. "You mean your mental blocks?"
2B nodded tensely. "We would be foolish to assume that they'll stop there. We know that the machines hold dominion over this entire reality. When we feel our hand being forced, either directly or indirectly, we would do well to assume that the machines are involved at some level."
9S watched as 2B slowed her mount to a halt as they approached the ravine, and he followed in kind as the two of them slid off the backs of the great antlered creatures before making their way through the barrier to Pascal's village. He found himself once again in awe of 2B's tactical brilliance. 2B was a fighter through and through, and every action she perceived from anyone and anything around her was evaluated as a possible danger. It was easy to mistake her as cold and calculating as a result of this perception, but this couldn't be further from the truth. The truth was that 2B cared so deeply that she did not dare allow any potential threat to escape her notice, lest they cost her the life of someone precious to her.
9S just hoped that this dedication did not cross the threshold into paranoia one day.
"Alright, we should call A2 before we get any farther," 9S said just outside the wooded area. "Have we decided where we want her for this fight?"
2B nodded succinctly. "Let's have her hide out on the rooftop where our flight units deploy. If she stays out of sight, YoRHa shouldn't pick up on her presence, and she'll be able to assist in either the ground or aerial portion of the battle, depending on the circumstances."
9S nodded and relayed the instructions over to A2 via their Pods. She agreed without hesitation, and after about five minutes, sent out confirmation that she was in position.
It was time to begin.
"Ready?" 9S asked nervously.
"No sense putting it off any longer," 2B agreed.
The two of them marched into Pascal's village, and within moments, the air slowly became filled with dust as the distant rumbling of massive footfalls shook the earth behind them. Moments later, the call from YoRHa command came.
2B answered the call dutifully, confirming what they already knew.
The goliaths were here.
"Let's do this," 9S nodded after 2B hung up, turning to face the sounds of battle.
2B turned to join him, and 9S felt her hand slip into his.
"No matter how this ends," she said with a hint of apprehension in her voice, "We face it together."
"Together," 9S affirmed, giving her hand a squeeze before letting go.
With that, the two of them ran back towards the city ruins, the distant sound of thunder slowly rising higher and higher at their approach. By the time they reached the barrier wall, the air was so dusty they could barely see anything! There were no wild animals anywhere to be found as they made their way to the other side, and the droning of panicked radio chatter began to fill the airwaves. And the sound of destruction and death soon followed.
"Uhh…guys?" A2's voice broke in over the cacophony of the radio. "You did say there were only two goliaths this time, right?"
2B and 9S suddenly halted in their tracks as the remains of the elevated highway overhead suddenly came crashing down, blocking their path as a massive steel leg made of girders and pistons suddenly struck the ground, the colossal frame of the goliath stomping right through the ruins.
As the two androids peered up at the metal titan, its red eyes lit up the sky where the dust was briefly swept clear in the wake of the colossus displacing so much air, revealing another glowing pair of red eyes somewhere farther behind it.
And another.
And another.
2B and 9S took a step back as they realized that they were staring down not two, not four, but six goliath class Engels units in total filling up the space of the city ruins, each and every one of them spewing smoke from its stacks and crushing concrete with every swing of its enormous buzz-saw excavator claws.
"Kill…Kill…Kill…!" the deafening voices of the machines filled the air.
The goliath before them took another step forward, and 2B and 9S were forced to retreat yet again, dashing back towards the ravine.
9S gritted his teeth. This was bad! It had been a hard enough prospect to take down two of these things! Now the ruins were filled with so many titanic monsters that there was no way that any number of YoRHa units could hope to contend with them all! Shouts of confusion and alarm could be heard over the radio, as well as cries for assistance as one by one, Ho229 flight units began dropping out of the sky. Talk of orbital bombardment came up amongst the Operators, only to be overruled on grounds of collateral damage in such close proximity to the resistance camp as well as so many other high value assets.
"Guys, what's the plan!?" A2's own cries of alarm reached the two android's ears as they were forced back yet again as the goliath continued advancing on them.
"Get to cover!" 2B shouted in alarm as they both dove away as the Engels took a massive swing at them with one of its earth-shaping claws.
The sawblade overshot them by a wide margin, and instead scraped against the edge of the ravine, levelling the barrier to Pascal's village as well as snapping the miniscule foot bridge to the other side like a spiderweb.
It hadn't been aiming at them at all – it had been cutting off their escape!
"Shit!" 9S spat in disgust as he and 2B rolled to their feet. They had been completely blindsided by this attack!
"We're pinned down here, A2!" 2B replied to the other android. "We can't get to you!"
"Alright, hold on!" A2 cried again over the radio. "I'm on my way! Just hold on!"
9S glanced nervously back towards the ravine. It was a long drop, and they only had one Pod. There was no way that 153 could carry both of them. But it was their only way out of this.
"Negative, A2," 2B called out to their companion. "Get clear of the battlefield in the off chance we survive this. I hate to say it, but we may have just lost this recursion."
"Damn it!" A2 shouted, before her voice faded into obscurity as the goliath's foot came crashing down.
The ground beneath their feet began to crumble, and with nowhere else to go, the two androids both leaped into the air over the ravine in a desperate bid for escape, clasping each other by the hand as 9S grabbed onto Pod 153's arm for support.
The combined weight of the two androids yanked the little droid out of the sky, and their descent quickly gained speed amidst a shower of rocks and rubble.
"Alert!" Pod 153 announced mournfully. "Maximum lift capacity exceeded! Unable to slow descent!"
9S grimaced as the support unit confirmed what he already knew to be true. His grip on 2B's arm was solid, as was his grip on his Pod. But that wouldn't make any difference if the Pod couldn't support their combined weight.
"I think we're going to need a new strategy here!" 9S called down to 2B as she dangled precariously by one arm.
"We'll think of something!" 2B responded with a shout, her voice filled with remorse and hope in equal measure. "We always do!"
As the rocky walls of the ravine rushed up on either side of them, the rate of their descent already well past the point where they couldn't avoid damage from the fall, the two flailing bodies continued to plummet almost unimpeded, despite their Pod's heroic efforts.
"Alert!" Pod 153 called out again, trying with all of its might to slow their descent. "The integrity of this platform's chassis has reached critical levels! Imminent failure in-"
CRUNCH! SNAP!
9S felt his stomach lurch as they suddenly dropped like a stone, the base of the ravine flying up towards them at a startling rate. He looked up to see his Pod drifting away from them overhead, one of its arms missing - an arm that now sparked uselessly in his hand after it had snapped off.
He turned his gaze back down towards 2B, who maintained her grip on his other wrist. They were still over two hundred meters from the ground, and they were already at terminal velocity. If the fall didn't kill them, the roaming machines wandering the depths would have little trouble finishing them off.
He locked eyes with his partner, who simply continued staring back up at him in silence. They both knew this would be it for them either way, and that they would just have to try again in the next recursion. For all that, however, the two of them had still personally accomplished more in this single recursion then in perhaps their entire careers. There would be more recursions left for them to face ahead, and each one would bring with it a new set of challenges.
But as long as they could face them together, then 9S thought that he might not mind it so much.
There was a sudden loud CRASH and an explosion of light as his cranium met stone.
And then all at once, he was back at the factory once more.
"Big brother…big brother…"
