Adrenaline burned through 9S' veins as his flight unit spun and unbuckled into combat formation. With 2B gone, the heat was turned up to the nth degree as all attention was on him. Part of him couldn't help but feel happy, though. One of his fears was the possibility of some of the androids following 2B, but it seemed as though they were more than content to tear into him instead. He let out a genuine, somewhat amused laugh in the midst of the turbulence and chaos. These really are a strange bunch. Wouldn't it be more logical to split forces and go after them while they have no partner to back them up? Plus, 2B didn't even have any control over her flight unit at the moment. His appraisal of their enemy's combat effectiveness immediately plummeted.

They're less like uber-efficient killing machines and more like wild animals. They just go after the easy, stationary kill right in front of them. On the other hand, 9S thought with a loud grunt, they're really damned good at being wild animals.

9S clicked his tongue as he tried every possible combination of the flight unit's offensive capabilities that he could think of on the fly in order to crack the enemy flight unit hulls. He jammed the sword into the engines, drove his blade in between the joints supporting the arms and legs… The torrenting current of his blade collided with the enemy units again and again, doubling down on the simultaneous rain of his pod-fire, but nothing had the smallest semblance of an effect.

9S' mind was spinning in an attempt to come to a swift conclusion on the nature of their enemy. I wonder if the virus makes your body impenetrable. But no…if that were the case, why does it extend to the flight units too? More than that, the units 2B and I fought were no more invulnerable than actual YoRHa, only crazed… Nor stronger for that matter. So then...are its symptoms selective? "Gah, I wish we'd have been able to gather more information on the logic virus over these past few years."

Pod 153 wasted no time chiming in."Query: given that the Scanner-type YoRHa model's primary function is gathering intel, and YoRHa Unit 9S is the most advanced and adept of the Scanner-type YoRHa models, and the YoRHa models are the most advanced of the androids, would a considerable percentage of fault for that inconvenience not fall on you?"

9S laughed inwardly. She's growing every day. "Heh. You...got me there." 9S responded part humorously, mostly pondering. ...This specific outbreak seemed to directly target YoRHa and unlike human illnesses, viruses don't spawn without a creator. A designer. So unless this is a strain of...self evolving and mutating code... No, at this stage, something like that still would have needed to be engineered, right? If so, then this is an attack virus specifically honed to infect and directly influence the logic circuits. Furthermo-

His thoughts were interrupted by 153's status warning. "Alert: critical damage to flight unit. Proposal: eject immediately."

Just what the hell is going on here? I've been fighting these same units forever and nothing's making any impact! Meanwhile I'm barely holding it together here. Just what is this virus?

Then he saw it. A violent beam of crackling crimson energy flew towards him quicker than he could shake himself out of his shocked stupor. The impact was jarring and he immediately regained his bearings and dodged the next beam that came plowing his way.

"That was… Was that… That was a machine's technique! How in the? That's impossible! That's physically impossible! Pod! Cross reference the consistency and makeup of that beam with data on the beam attacks fired by Medium Bipeds!"

"Working."

He already knew. There was no model of flight unit that could fire beams, much less ones of that much force or magnitude. There was literally no room for it and even if there was, the technological foundation of YoRHa flight units wouldn't support it. The engineering wasn't the same as the machine's in the least.

"Cross referencing complete. 100% match."

"Holy shit…" 9S couldn't believe it. "What the…hell!?" He'd had a hunch that the virus had not only originated from the machines, even maybe designed by them, but this was beyond anything he had expected! "The virus…has the ability to alter the technological makeup of those it possesses!?"

This was beyond, far beyond anything YoRHa had accomplished. "The machines were hiding a capability like this the entire time? This is-"

9S was jarred back to reality as his flight unit burst into flames. His eyes looked around frantically to assess the damage as 153's voice met his ears.

"Repeat, Reactor core temperature rising." was 153's steady cadence. Immediately after, 9S' sword dissolved mid swing and his pod ceased fire. "Alert: FFC and NFC systems unresponsive."

"Damn it!" 9S growled. Looking down, he spotted a stretch of land in the Flooded City. "That'll have to do! But… I need to know." Looking up, 9S fixed his sights on one of the corrupted flight units. "Please, please let this work." With a last boost of power, he grabbed the unit, latching on as tightly as he could as he drove the both of them towards the coast at top speed.

"Pod! Countdown until impact!"

The pod responded from her cockpit. "T-7 seconds."

The enemy unit began to struggle against his grip and heard a dangerous creak as the joints of his flight unit came loose.

"6."

9S struggled to keep his hold on the unit as the temperature of his holsters reached unbearable degrees, the flames of his damaged flight unit growing hotter.

"5."

9S felt like fainting, the pain was so great. A piece of the red hot metal began to sear into his shoulder and his eyes glued shut in agony.

"4."

He couldn't take it. "That should be close enough." He said haggardly.

"3."

As he pried himself out of his cockpit, he noticed 153's eject system was stuttering.

"2."

"Shit! Shit, shit shit!" he pulled on 153 with all of his might.

"1."

With one final heave, she was wrenched loose, and he clutched her tight in his arms as he jumped from the unit, tucking his head and knees and hoping for the best.

"0. Brace for impact."

The deafening roar of an explosion hugged the coast of the flooded city as the two flight units struck the hard gravel of the broken bridge.

9S and 153 collided with the surface of the water, the impact stuttering 9S' optical sensors as he and his pod sank to the bottom. Water flooded his air system and he began to panic as the light from the sun grew further and further away, the water seemingly holding him down as the various currents swam around his body.

9S hugged his pod to his side and frantically kicked as he struggled to swim for the shore to no avail. The current beat his body away and pain radiating from his shoulder flared as he tried in vein to swim them to safety. No! The darkness began to grow thicker as the light from the sun above fell out of sight and 9S grit his teeth as fear and desperation set in.

No, not here. I can't… Not like this.

Despair gripped him as the water took him further from shore.

...2B…

He couldn't give up, not like this. Pod! Use Wir-

As 9S subconsciously raised his right arm in command, a streak of pain like molten lava exploded from his right shoulder and rattled his senses, the sound of static briefly filling his ears. 9S struggled through his thoughts, unable to focus through the pain as the damaged sections of the reinforced tubing in his shoulder began to fray and water began to flood the exposed sections of his circuitry. Slight compulsions racked the right side of his body as he fruitlessly attempted to stop the flow of water, while the light on the surface of the water grew further and further away...

Suddenly, a jerk shook 9S' left arm as Pod 153 fired its glowing wire program into the submerged window frame of the sunken skyscraper ahead of them. 9S's eyes widened behind his soaked visor as he locked eyes with the black chassis of his pod, beside himself with shock as it reeled them both in. "Proposal: remove the connections that link the effected area to Unit 9S' electrical and nervous system."

Grinning through the pain, 9S remarked inwardly. Well I'll be damned. Ripping out the key components that provided power to his now spasming and useless shoulder, the nearly unbearable pain ceased and the water flowed harmlessly against the dead and sectioned off circuitry. 9S silently, but wholeheartedly praised the late YoRHa engineering team for implementing independently functioning, sectioned off cascading power flow into their bodies. It was for situations just like this, so that an entire unit didn't have to suffer or be permanently downed because of the malfunction or failing of another part of their anatomy. Pride swelled in 9S' heart and he nearly felt the urge to salute. It might come at the cost of a joint and any successive dependent limbs, but even critical electrical damages like 9S was experiencing couldn't keep them down.

The red eyes of his comrades, of the Commander, lingered in his psyche. ...Unless it attacks your core.

As 9S' boots collided with the anchoring surface of his Pod's program, melancholic clarity gripped his mind and the bleakness of the current situation drew a mantel of bitter determination back over his conscious, any sense of stupor after his electric attack driven away completely. Mind clear and free of physical distractions, he issued the command fully this time. Wire! Another golden cord shot several stories up and heaved the duo closer and closer to the surface. Wire! Using the window frames as footholds, 9S kicked off, thrusting himself and 153 upwards, wary and afraid for what awaited him at the crash site as he broke through the surface of the water.

As he pulled himself and 153 out of the surf, 9S thanked his Pod for its understanding of his unfinished command. An understanding that saved both of their lives.

Her response didn't surprise him in the least. "Gratitude to tactical support units is unnecessary. This pod was acting on an estimated approximation of YoRHa Unit 9S' unfinished command, a proactive action that was deemed necessary for the well-being of both YoRHa unit 9S and this pod."

9S had begun rolling his eyes halfway into her dialouge. "Yeah, yeah." Just when I think you're starting to come around.

"One affirmation will suffice."

9S froze. Hearing that phrase sent a chill down his spine. The Bunker…

"Operator…"

The pain of the situation doubled down upon him. 9S slowly peaked his head around an old car on the shore as he surveyed the crash site. Flames were roaring and to his surprise and relief, the other three enemy flight units he had fought were not stalked on the coast awaiting his return. What a relief. It seemed that his own flight unit had skidded a few yards away from the enemy's, perhaps a result of it flying loose before impact after 9S had abandoned the controls.

It seemed the enemy flight unit had take the brunt of the damage. Looking around to confirm there were no hostiles in the area, 9S' thoughts immediately went to 2B.

"Pod, where's 2B?"

"Located. YoRHa Unit 2B's flight unit is landing in the Resistance Camp."

9S was surprised. "Just now?"

"Hypothesis: YoRHa Unit 2B's flight unit took an alternate route in order to avoid contact with hostile machine life forms and corrupted YoRHa Units."

2B… She was probably going out of her mind right now trying to get back to him. He hadn't expected to survive, but now...

"Pod, contact 2B."

When 2B's face showed up on the projected screen in front of him, his heart fell and guilt swarmed his conscious. She was totally distressed, and through the filtered hue of the projection, he thought he saw windblown tears marks on her face. Her eyes were sad, but they perked up and stared almost disbelievingly as they searched his face. "9S! I-are you alright? Where are you!? I ca-"

"2B! I'm okay! It's alright, I'm fine." He elected not to tell her about his shoulder until they actually met face to face, not wanting to worry her anymore than she already was. "Everything's alright."

He smiled, and she began to return it before something reminiscent of frustrated anger overtook her face. "Don't ever do that again! 9S I...I thought you were going to die."

2B...

"Where are you?" She demanded. "I'm headed towards you now."

"I'm in the Flooded City. I'll meet you at the Resistance Camp in no time. Just try to stay put until then, okay?" He added with a playful tone.

"9S, I'm going to come to you."

This girl! "No, 2B! I need you to stay where you are. I'll be there as soon as I can, I'm only checking something out here."

He could tell she was about to shoot back with some sort of argument on why what he was saying was illogical, so he thought of something on the fly. He didn't want to lie to her. He hated the idea. But right now, there were more important things at stake and he couldn't risk her getting hurt or worse for his sake. "I discovered that the corrupted androids only tend to swarm and attack when there are two black box signals together. If you can just give me some time to work my way to you, we should be good until we can at least get behind the Resistance Camp's signal barriers." 2B remained silent, head still faced forward but he could tell she was pondering. "C'mon 2B. I'm a Scanner. Recon and stealth is our forte. You B-Units tend to underestimate us, but we're the ones going deep into the heart of enemy territory without backup on a regular basis." In his heart, 9S smiled warmly. 2B wasn't an overbearing or doting person. This wasn't something she did with him on a regular basis, if at all, but he knew that their current situation had put her on edge and he couldn't blame her.

She looked conflicted, but she finally sighed and gave a soft smile, voice as steady and trusting as ever. "Alright."

He returned the gesture with his own smile as he responded. "I'll be with you before long."

"Okay. I'll be waiting." was her reply before he ended the call.

2B... I'll make it up to you as soon as we get this whole mess figured out. "Alright." He announced to his Pod. "Let's check out that unit."

9S closed in on the flaming unit warily as he scanned for black box signals, heaving a sigh when he found nothing. "Alright."As he approached the wreckage, he was pleased to find that the enemy flight unit was totally and entirely inoperable. It was a trash heap. "Well at least now we know they have a weakness." Relief flooded his systems at the notion that their enemy was in fact, not invincible. "That said, we can't exactly all go throwing ourselves into suicide attacks whenever we encounter an enemy that's more tough than not... We just need to find a way to...hit harder. Damn it, we need more information..."

A signal suddenly blared to life as out of the flames ran the burning corpse of the corrupted pilot as it pinned 9S to the ground, the red hot metal tips of its gloves searing into his throat as he screamed in agony. He burst into tears as the pain rocked his system, his legs flailing and his gloved hands clawing at the dirt in search of some sort of relief as its hands tightened around his neck. The disorienting red light of its eyes was visible through the cracked frame of its helmet, nearly blinding 9S at such close range as his assailant grinned seeming ecstatic with the notion of killing him, as though nothing could bring it a more euphoric feeling.

Managing after multiple tries to get a firm grip on its waist, 9S threw the android off of him, summoning his sword before watching it clatter to the ground as he made a fruitless grab for it, forgetting for a split second that he had no active nerves in his right arm. The brief moment that slip up cost him was just enough for the corrupted unit to make another lunge for him. Phasing out of reach, 9S spun to a halt as the corrupted YoRHa charged him again, his mental command to fire neglected by his pod who flashed a FFC System Failure notification in his optics. Shoved to the ground again, 9S utilized the protocols he mined and studied from Unit 8B's data directory to shift his weight and toss the assailant again before she could a grip on him, but this time, he didn't make the same mistake. In an instant, he tightly grabbed the hilt of the sword 153 held out for him with his left hand and ran the golden blade through what was left of the burning corpse. He frowned seeing the beautiful face of his former comrade through the broken shell of her helmet, her face twisted into a permanent smile as her red eyes slowly dimmed. Damn it... he began to choke up.

Damn it...

No one should have to go through this. This shouldn't be happening. Even as he tenderly touched the seared holes in his neck, each painful wound forged in the shape of a finger, tears began to pool in his eyes. I'm so sorry...

Suddenly, an agonizing sensation pulsed through 9S' black box. It ran up his spine like buzzsaw, briefly causing his back to violently snap backwards and his limbs to seize. Hyperventilating and reeling at the sensation, 9S fell to his knees as a new sort of pain began to rock his system. It radiated from his throat and shot down his body in waves, blaring static in his ears and running disorienting bands of gray and white through his optics.

"Alert: virus infection detected."


A/N: I'm sorry to end the chapter here, but I have to get my thoughts together for the next part. There's a huge scene coming up, after all. As for this chapter, part of me wants to say that it's still a work in progress, but I'm going to try to abstain from letting you know my opinions on the chapters as I write them in order to allow you to form your own without my own dialogue swaying you either which way.

At any rate, this is the first story I've ever written, so please bear with me.