Okay, so it technically didn't get posted the same day as day 5, but I haven't gone to bed yet, so it's still the same day for me!

That being said, I wrote this as it was going on three in the morning, so please excuse any minor misspellings or issues.

I've really fallen in love with the game NieR: Automata lately, and after a suggestion from the lovely lesbian-diana-cavendish on Tumblr, this was born. Also, this oneshot is dedicated to hawkeyedflame, also on Tumblr. You're amazing, love!

Key: Akko = 8O, Diana = D9


Day 6: Crossover/AU

In High Regard

"Haaahhh!"

A ferocious battle cry sounded throughout the heart of the city ruins as YoRHa Unit D9 finished her engagement with the enemy machines she had been tasked to eliminate. While the machine life forms had been plentiful in number, they were no match in skill. As the last one exploded behind her, D9 huffed before sheathing her swords in the glyphs behind her.

"Pod, contact Command to let them know the requested group of machines have been efficiently dealt with," D9 spoke as she began heading back to the Resistance Camp to resupply. Her weapons could also use some upgrades while she was there.

"Affirmative," her Pod reported before the all-too-familiar screen monitor fazed into view beside her.

A chipper voice picked up on the third ring, and D9 prepared herself for the enthusiastic greeting in 3… 2…

"Helloo~, D9!" her personal operator, 8O, exclaimed as she came into view on the monitor. "Another beautiful day down on Earth, isn't it?"

"Tracking the weather again instead of your duties, hm, 8O?" D9 commented with an amused grin upon seeing the operator immediately deflate on the other end.

"I-I'm doing my work too, you know!" 8O cried in defiance. "It's just…!" The android on the screen appeared to look around her surroundings before leaning closer to her microphone and adding, quietly, "The work up here is so boring! Nothing like the excitement that are your missions, huh, D9?"

"How many times do I have to remind you of the dangers down here on Earth? It may seem all glamorous up there in the Bunker, but do not simply assume I'm having more fun just because I'm on the ground," D9 retorted. She knew her operator meant well, and curiosity was simply natural, but did they have to have this conversation with every call? Even her scheduled maintenance calls wound up being ten minutes or longer!

The standard maintenance call lasted five minutes, and that was including any issues needing to be reported.

But of course, 8O loved to talk, which D9 figured was standard for all operators, but 8O always seemed to stand out a bit more from the rest. At least, she didn't recall any other battle units having operators that were so interested in life on the ground.

"Have you come across any new flowers or animals?" 8O continued to yammer, her eyes lighting up strictly from the thought alone. "You did promise to send me any pictures, remember?"

"I remember quite clearly," D9 responded with a dry chuckle. "You remember the last time you asked that question was during our last call two hours and thirty-seven minutes ago, correct?"

Though androids hadn't been created to be capable of blushing, 8O always made it quite obvious when she was experiencing the human emotion of embarrassment.

Created in the mirror image of humans, they indeed were, D9 mused fondly.

"Heh heh!" 8O laughed quickly, before quickly snapping to attention, her posture righting and normally expressive face becoming neutral and impassive—apparently the Commander had just walked by. "V-Very well then. I shall let the Commander know of your success. Stand by for further orders."

With once last glance around, 8O winked into the camera before the connection was severed.

"Pod," D9 spoke again after simply remaining in place after the call ended. "Do you think all non-battle units experience the same wonder for Earth that 8O does?"

"Unknown," her Pod responded. "We Pods are not able to access the information necessary to provide an answer to this query. Our sole purpose is to provide back up. If the information will not benefit the unit in combat or in its mission, it is deemed unworthy to be downloaded."

As D9 neared the Resistance Camp, she pondered over her question on her own, not really knowing why she had asked it in the first place. She had figured her Pod wouldn't be capable of answering such a question. If it didn't relate to an android's purpose, it wasn't necessary. That was how all androids had been created, and it was how all Pods had been constructed.

Yet, the more D9 thought about it—about everything—the less she believed that. 8O was proof enough that androids could be interested in more than just their purpose, and D9 herself had often wondered how life would differ had she been created to be an operator model or a scanner model instead. But, going off everything she had ever been taught, she and 8O shouldn't be capable of thoughts like that.

But then again, if the machines were capable of such complex thought, why wouldn't androids be as well?

D9 acknowledged the few Resistance members she passed as she entered the camp and made her way to the spare room she had been given once it was understood that her stay on the ground would be extended.

As soon as she entered her room, however, another call came through.

"Helloo~, D9!"

D9 was thankful for the blindfold she always wore in that moment, as it kept 8O from seeing her roll her eyes. Though, she found herself thinking in the back of her mind, she found the action was becoming less demeaning each time, and becoming more of something done out of…affection?

But that was silly. She was a combat unit. Combat units didn't feel emotions. They weren't necessary in battle, and only hindered the mind of a fighter.

At least, that's what had always been drilled into her head.

"I informed the Commander of your success, and she sends her gratitude, as well as sending you a small gift for your continued efforts on the ground, so please check the nearest access point when you next get a chance!"

"Thank you, 8O. Are there any new orders?"

"None at this time. Guess that means you have some time to yourself, huh, D9? I know exactly how I'd spend any free time I had down there!"

"How? Scaring off every animal in a ten mile radius trying to 'observe' them?" D9 chided with a grin.

Again, 8O showed signs of embarrassment as she looked away from the monitor and appeared to be fiddling with something off screen, whether it be her hands in her lap or something else.

"You know me too well, D9…"

"It is expected of a combat model to be familiar with her operator," D9 gave a standard reply, though she wanted to say 8O just made everything too easy.

"I know…" 8O sighed before hesitantly making eye contact with D9. "I guess I just…sometimes wish things weren't always as…serious. It just seems like, with protocol in place, everything is so…"

"Mechanical?" D9 finished resolutely.

8O looked surprised that D9 could say that so confidently. After all, the statement was basically saying they were like the very machine life forms it was their purpose to destroy.

"Y-Yeah," 8O whispered so quietly it almost sounded like static over the line.

"I don't think you're broken for thinking the way you do, 8O," D9 said. "I hear other units speak poorly of you when you aren't around, saying something is wrong with your servers because of your fascination with the old world, or awe at life on the ground. I just want you to know that I don't think the same."

8O blinked at D9, and D9 knew it shouldn't be possible to see traces of tears in the operator's eyes.

"R-Really, D9? You don't think I'm crazy?"

"Far from it, if my time down here has taught me anything."

"Thanks, D9."

"You're welcome," D9 said with a small smile. "Now, I'll talk to you later, okay? I need to run some maintenance before I set out again."

"Mmh!" 8O nodded with a matching smile. "Yeah! You deserve a break!"

This time their connection was lost after a shared wave, and as D9 slowly lowered her hand back to her side, she became deep in thought.

So deep, in fact, that her Pod had to cut in after several moments of no activity from her.

"Query: What is Unit D9 currently thinking?"

"Nothing," she hoped to quell her support unit. "I'm just going to go for a walk around the city."

And with that, she left her room, a determined spark alight in her eyes.

"Query," her Pod repeated. "What is the purpose of this outing?"

D9 didn't answer.


8O sighed heavily as she walked down the hall of the Bunker to her designated room. As she passed one of the many windows, she stared longingly down at the planet below her.

What must it be like down there? How much evidence of humanity remained? During her calls with D9, she could sometimes notice bits and pieces of the surrounding area, but it never amounted to much. A flash of green here and there, the sound of water flowing elsewhere. 8O knew the green she saw meant foliage of some sort, be it grass or trees. Though how was she to know the difference without being outright told? She had never seen a blade of grass, nor a single tree.

And she knew she never would.

While she was capable of logging onto the Bunker's servers and accessing any data on Earth that she wanted, she knew it couldn't ever measure up to firsthand experience. Was it wrong to hate the fact that she had been made to be an operator, instead of any other model that could ever be allowed down on the ground? Even scanner models sometimes were sent to Earth to do research, and they weren't capable of fighting much at all.

Was it also so wrong that 8O sometimes desired to learn how to fight?

She wondered briefly if D9 would still think she was sane if she knew that piece of information.

The Bunker just felt so isolated. 8O felt there was much more in life than monitoring someone else, having to live vicariously through her combat model to really feel like she was living.

She had been staring as the ground as she walked, hoping not looking down at the Earth would help her thoughts quell, so she came to a stop when she saw a pair of boots come into her vision. Looking up, she couldn't help the excited gasp that escaped her.

"D9!" she exclaimed. "What are you doing back up here?"

D9 blinked, and her eyes softened, a sweet smile accompanying them and nearly making 8O swoon on the spot—she felt she never had been able to properly hide her feelings for the other android. Luckily D9 had yet to catch on, or simply chose to ignore it.

"Any animal or plant wouldn't be able to survive up here, so I thought maybe this would suffice instead," D9 explained as she held out a thin box. "I hope this will sate your curiosity for the time being, until I can find something even better."

8O took the proffered box before lifting the lid off it. She didn't know exactly what the object was that was held within, though the fact that it came from the ground and was a gift from D9 caused her circuits to start firing without prompt.

"It's beautiful," 8O cooed, lifting a thin chain out of the box. "Wh-What is it?"

"The humans apparently called it a necklace," D9 informed. "It was a piece of jewelry to be worn around the neck. Some pieces could even cost quite the fortune, and as such, were popular gifts within many cultures."

"Around the neck?" 8O echoed, not seeing how the object was supposed to fit over her head.

D9 just smiled once more before stepping closer to the operator.

"May I?"

8O knew there was no reason to feel like she was overheating as her morning startup had alerted her to no issues within her system, but she wasn't going to deny that she liked the feeling.

She also liked the warmth D9's presence brought as she prompted 8O to turn away from her, before her arms had come around 8O's body, the necklace hanging from her hands. She shouldn't have been able to shiver as D9 delicately clasped the jewelry around her neck, letting it fall to protrude only just slightly from the drape that covered her mouth and chin.

Spinning back around, she beamed at D9, who seemed to be stuck in some sort of trance as the combat model simply kept staring.

"Beautiful," she murmured.

8O was certain that if she had the capability to blush, she would be do so very much at the whispered compliment from her crush.

"Th-Thank you, D9," she whispered, not wanting to ruin this tender moment with a raised voice.

Of course, D9's Pod didn't find any issue in disrupting.

"Query," it spoke. "What is the purpose of D9 giving this item to 8O? How will its presence be of any assistance in 8O's duties?"

"It will give her something to have from the world she so desires to see," D9 replied without looking away from her operator, still smiling affectionately at the other android.

"Unit D9 was not tasked to bring 8O such an item," her Pod said.

"I know," D9 again brushed off the Pod. Stepping even closer to 8O, she placed a gentle hand upon 8O's cheek as she uttered simply,

"I did it because I wanted to."