November 13

PA-15 had just woken up, to her right the unsecured gun resting on a nightstand next to the bed, as a precaution. PA-15 didn't have many enemies, indeed, she could be defined as a friend of all, but she was afraid of having enemies so obsessed with her that they wanted to attack her in the middle of the night. Fear. No. Maybe it wasn't really fear. While walking, in pajamas, along the corridor to reach the bathroom, she thought about it: maybe it wasn't really fear, it was more like an exciting wait. She had the gun with her not because she was afraid of being attacked but because she was waiting to be attacked. In reality she knew perfectly well that she wasn't afraid of anything, but when she confided with AA-12, she realized that she really had a problem, an addiction, she was intoxicated by the challenge, by the danger, by the fatal. What is dangerous is fun.
PA-15 felt alive, she felt herself breathing only thanks to the danger, everything else did not count, everything else was incorporeal, absent from her mind, they were only small doubts, but due to AA-12 she realized she had a serious problem. PA-15 hadn't said anything to 9A-91, she didn't feel it, she lacked the courage to tell her what she had done. And here's the fear. The real fear. Not a simple waiting for danger, no, that was the fear of having hurt a friend, of having betrayed the trust of a loved one. There was nothing exciting about hurting friends.
After washing and dressing, PA-15 knocked on the door of 9A-91. No reply. She knocked again. No reply. Luckily she knew how to enter, she knew the combination of numbers. The door opened. PA-15 walked in and as soon as she looked up she saw 9A-91 naked wearing only her panties. She turned and when she saw the intruder she screamed, red as a pepper:

" Aaaah! What the hell are you doing here? Why did you come in ?! "

" And why didn't you answer when I called you? "

" And why do you know the code for my room? "

" And why don't you know mine? "

" Get out! Now! "

PA-15 left the room and closed the door.

" It's not like you have an ugly body. " She murmured.

In the corridor AA-12 was also walking, with a more serene look than usual. PA-15 patted her on the shoulder and exclaimed:

" Are you happy that OTs-14 will be released today? "

" Huh?! What are you talking about?! " She said blushing.

" Come on, there's no need to be so shy. You will finally be able to see her again, you will spend a lot of time together and you will have lots and lots of sex. " She murmured in her ear.

" I'll punch you. "

" I'll dodge it. Eh, eh ... "

AA-12 noticed that PA-15 was in front of the room of 9A-91 so she asked, curiously, keeping her voice low:

" Did you talk to her? "

" I… er… no. Not yet. I haven't had a chance to do it yet. I don't even know where to start, to be honest. "

" Do you want me to help you? "

" What? No, no! You have to stay with OTs-14, you deserve it! She's your girlfriend and you need to have fun. This is my problem… I can do it alone, I have to do it alone. "

" As you like, but know that you can count on my help. "

" Okay, thanks. "

AA-12 left and PA-15 waited for 9A-91. When the girl left the room she didn't know what to say to her, she was afraid of making her angry and losing a friend. 9A-91 hadn't noticed anything, hadn't even noticed that PA-15 was acting differently than usual. She turned and headed for the cafeteria. PA-15 silently followed her.

In the cafeteria the two girls ordered croissants and began to eat. In the background were the laughter of the other T-Dolls joking and talking about their missions, PA-15 wasn't listening to them, she was focused on what she had to say and how she had to say it.

Maybe she had to be kind and sweeten the pill, maybe she had to start with a "sorry" and then explain what happened or she could always avoid the conversation and go directly to the facts: redemption. Her heart was beating fast, the girl was sweating and afraid of making 9A-91 angry, she ordered another croissant, even if she didn't want to eat, she had to do something, anything, just to relax, just to vent that pressing anxiety.

She looked up. 9A-91 wasn't even looking at her, she had melancholy eyes and was carefully watching the other Dolls enjoying themselves. She sighed. PA-15 immediately understood that something was wrong and then asked:

" You look sad, are you okay? "

" I'm strange. "

" What? No, you're not. Why are you saying this? "

" Because I am. " She turned. " What do you see in me? What am I? "

" Ah! Um ... well ... well ... I think you're a very particular girl, you're silent but you're also kind, you're very intelligent, a little too reserved and you're my most precious friend. "

" Mmh ... I don't know, am I really? "

" What's the problem? "

" They're normal ... I'm not. "

" No, you're wrong, you're perfectly normal! I swear! I mean ... look at me! I'm the weird one. "

" I feel incomplete. " She said looking PA-15 straight in the eyes.

" But you're not. None of us are. You're simply a bit of a particular girl, that's all, you don't necessarily have to make a tragedy out of it. Believe me, you have nothing strange. "

" Sorry, PA-15, but I don't believe you. "

" But how long have you been thinking such a bad thing about yourself? "

" I don't remember it's a sensation that perhaps belongs to me since the day I was built. I feel different. Very different. "

" 9A-91… are you jealous of what the other Dolls are doing? Do you want to have their same life? "

" No, I want to be myself. "

" But you are yourself! You shouldn't ask yourself such questions, they're silly! You are yourself, you're my best friend and you have nothing wrong. " PA-15 said, confused by the girl's words.

" I would like to believe you ... but I can't. I don't know how to explain it… I feel like I'm just a fragment of the real me. I don't feel complete. It's strange … "

Leaving the cafeteria, the two girls decided to do a combat simulation, during the PA-15 clash she was having fun like a child, dodging shots, shooting enemies, eliminating targets with such ease that when she began to get bored she decided to expose herself by avoiding defending behind barricades, that way it would have been much more fun to win. 9A-91 wasn't as excited as her friend, she shot some enemies here and there and then ran always staying behind PA-15. The simulation was simple enough, the enemies weren't too strong and the combat scenario was littered with buildings, PA-15 had already eliminated fifty-two targets while 9A-91 just fifteen, and as PA-15 ran left and right continuing to shoot, she realized for a moment that her friend had come into the shooting trajectory.
PA-15 had already fired. At that moment time had slowed down, the girl was shocked, she screamed but the bullet had already hit 9A-91.
Fortunately… it wasn't lethal.
9A-91 was in the Persica office to have her forehead repaired, the bullet had only rubbed on the head, there had been no serious damage. PA-15 was out of the office, upset, wet with sweat and constantly wondering what had happened, how such a mistake could've been possible. She was sure she had 9A-91 behind her, she was advancing, between the two girls there must have been at least eight or nine meters apart, so what had happened? Why did 9A-91 appear before PA-15?
Perhaps, in the worst case scenario, PA-15 was so excited by the battle and the danger that she lost her mind and didn't notice her friend. The very thought frightened her. It couldn't be true.
PA-15 was called to Persica's office, 9A-91 had recently been discharged, the woman, just sitting in front of the desk, took her cup of coffee and asked:

" What happened in there? "

" I don't know. I have no idea, I swear. I was sure I had the situation under control but she appeared before me like a ghost, I hadn't noticed her, and when I saw her it was already too late. I had already fired. " PA-15 was agitated.

" I see. I admit this is troubling me, 9A-91 is the second to have an accident in the simulation. The second after Mosin Nagant. Mmm… where was she? "

" Behind me. She was behind me. I knew it and I was sure of it. But… I don't know… she appeared in front of me. "

" What were you doing? "

" What I always do: I was advancing between enemy lines, running and shooting, but I was trying to stay away from 9A-91 ... she was at least nine meters from me ... how is it possible that she ... appeared in front of me? It doesn't make sense! " PA-15 exclaimed.

" Calm down, don't get agitated otherwise it's worse. It was just an accident, you don't have to worry about it, I just wanted to know what had happened. "

" An accident? " She didn't believe it. " Yes… an accident. Maybe ... "

PA-15 reached the room of 9A-91. Knocked on the door. 9A-91 opened, she had no mark on her head, luckily it had been repaired well, but despite this PA-15 still felt guilty and could no longer hide the truth. She opened his mouth but only incomprehensible sounds came out. She couldn't speak, she was too nervous, she was afraid of 9A-91's reaction and suddenly Kryuger's voice was heard echoing throughout the facility. The EXPIATIO Team had been summoned.