The last one Chapter 19, a nier fanfic

Hello! Chapter 19 is out!

I have finished painting two space marine minis! Woo! It's a lot more of a challenge than I thought lol.

Things to comment on:

TailsOfHonor: Don't worry, I do not plan on going down that route as I find it to be too cliche. It is probably going to be more fucked up. He is just going to try to unfuck the situation, so both sides will stop killing each other…maybe.

Trin: Maybe twice a month since I have a large amount of free time. I should be finishing this up in a month or two since I can only envision only having around 4 chapters left.

Maridus: I would have liked to go the direction you mentioned, but I could not find a way to write that scenario as to me personally, the world of Nier Automata is downright hostile to human life, especially a human who has no survival or combat experience.

Guest: Ya, at this point I am just picking and choosing what I want to include, which is a bad habit I got to fix.

Sinfel: Dude, or dudette, that is a fucking great idea I can use to help give a better ending, even if it is not a necessarily happy ending.

Ruberforumfree: Fair enough.

Milo S Darek: I loved the dialogue you wrote! However, Joel is far too deep to explain the truth about everything now and must deal with the reality of his situation. Though, I wish I could write what you wrote; it is a truly touching excerpt. Thanks for the comment!

Announcement about ending: Right, so the end is really nigh, like this chapter, two battle chapters maybe, and an ending chapter. I understand that this is my writing, but I wish to write a story that the majority of you will enjoy. So, I am debating about leaving an ambiguous ending which allows for a reader's own interpretation of what happens, or giving a definite end which is also ambiguous but does not leave room for the fate of Joel. Thoughts are welcome.

—-

It had been fourteen days since I woke up, fourteen long fucking days. Since Anemone blew up in my face, she had cooled down, which is…concerning. Anemone had come every day to meet with me, but it's the way she spoke that made me squirm. She was cold, professional, and blunt. Strangely, she would randomly become far more welcoming and warm for a moment before her dour expression came back with a vengeance. If I could guess, it was probably her programming that had something to do with it. I mean, if the androids were treating me like a prophet figure simply for existing, Anemone must be feeling some very confusing emotions on the regular. I never commented on this. Of course, I was already on thin ice as is. We went over a variety of topics, such as how the camp was doing, who I actually was, what humanity was like, the increasing presence of machines, and when reinforcements would arrive to pick me up. Though, the way she spoke about said reinforcements had led me to doubt just how good of a thing that truly was.

The situation with the camp had calmed significantly since Anemone had announced that I was in "good" health. I had not left this bed except for the essentials such as relieving myself, so she and the twins were my only sources of information. Because of Anemones announcement, the camp's morale was bursting, with never ending celebration and parties taking place, much to Anemones vexation. Although, there was not much she could do at this point besides manage the worst excesses of such festivities. To my embarrassment and mortification, a de facto state religion was coming into full swing, with Lilac, of all people, being its preacher. It made sense in a way. She was the first android I met from the camp and saved, so not that hard to understand why she grew into this position. I still could not shake that weirdness of it though, Lilac, the hot-headed android who was known for her bellicose nature, a preacher? Maybe being in the presence of a human altered their personalities? That was…a troubling thought. I had talked to Anemone about this thoroughly, expressing my worries. Her response was to deal with the bigger issue first instead of theories, that being my eventual public appearance. It was set to happen in a few days, much to the objection of Devola and Popola, who profusely stated that I was not ready for such an ordeal. Anemone had simply told them that I would have to be as the chances of the androids simply ignoring her authority grew each day.

Speaking of my health, it was peculiar. The pain from my wounds was receding to where I could get out of bed with a decent amount of effort, but actually doing anything beyond that was difficult. Strangely enough, Popola commented that my injuries were acting strange, as miraculously the bleeding had been completely stemmed, a near impossible feat considering the size of the wounds. However, they were not actually healing. In fact, they appeared to be degrading slowly. There were other health complications which had come out of left field, mainly that I was feeling more exhausted every day, my vision was worsening, and my mind was fogging from time to time. Also, the damned taste of salt was becoming ever more noticeable in my mouth. It was starting to make eating more a burden than anything else. Worse still, these complications were growing at an exponential rate. Besides my worsening condition, Anemone had taken the liberty of having my equipment sent out to those who could repair it in camp, much to my annoyance. I had talked to her about making modifications so that my new…limits could be circumvented, though the chances of those modifications being ready any time soon were slim. God, how was I going to appear in front of a crowd? I probably looked like shit and my voice was hoarse, even to my own ears.

Beyond the change in the general camp culture, mood, and myself, there was the ever-growing shadow of what the hell to do with the Yorha androids, specifically, 9S and 2B. There was no plan to get rid of them, of course, they were by far the best soldiers the camp had, besides for A2. A2…I have not seen her since I was put here, Anemone had kept her on a constant list of attacks on swelling machine forces to delay that for as long as humanly possible. To be frank, I missed her. She was probably the only one in this damned camp, or gilded cage it was becoming, who knew me as a person and not as the mask of Vulcan or the Human. I had my doubts. At first I believed Anemone was doing this to spite me, but the more I thought about it, the more my reasoning started to take control. She was the best I had ever seen when it came to fighting machines. Toss in her solo act, she did, and, and that when she was out of camp, 9S and 2B did not cause trouble. That was the main issue. Those two could never let A2 be when she was in camp. Every single time they bugged the shit out of her, according to Anemone. But, there was the secondary issue of when Yorha was going to get its head out of its ass and come back to assist the camp. As much as I had my reservations about them, they were an extremely effective force, and having them assist would be quite the boon against the inevitable machine attack.

My primary caretakers, Devola and Popola, were by far some of the most diligent people I had ever met. Every single need and issue which I came across, they dealt with the grace of a Queen. Hell, they even took care of some issues I had even before I said anything. There was nothing I could really complain about when it came to their care. However, the way they treated me was downright creepy. No more ribbing, no more sass. I had tried to bait them into it a couple of times, and they had played along, but it was not the same. The power dynamic had changed dramatically. I was no longer an android talking to another android. I was a human talking to an android. The best way I could describe it was a monarch talking to an aide or servant. I missed the way things used to be. Everything was simpler and so much less grand and important. However, this was bound eventually, I suppose, someone would have found out who I was eventually, considering how careless I was. Looking back on it, there were things I would have done differently, chief among them-

"Joel?" A voice called out to me, causing me to blink. Anemone sat on a stool at the end of my bed. Her use of my name was…strange. In some ways, it removed the persona I used when talking to her, but in others, I felt like it just made the situation between us all the more noticeable.

"When did you get here?" I said, raising a brow in confusion. She stared for a moment before responding, shifting in her seat.

"I've been here for fifteen minutes. You told me you wanted to discuss what we were going to do about…the truth" She responded. I could only blink. I could see the twins out of the corner of my peripheral vision, a look of concern crossing their faces. They had always been present for me and Anemones discussions after our initial conversation. Both of them asked some questions about me and what the old world was like, but compared to Anemone, their questions were limited. Maybe out of some sort of feeling of guilt for their hand in humanity's fall? Of course, this meant that they now know the truth about humanity, and they handled it as well as expected, which is to say, fucking poorly. It took days before they would speak to me again, even when carrying out their tasks, and the only reason they stopped their self imposed silence is because I ordered them to. Honestly, if I was not present I doubt they would still be able to function in day to day circumstances in the best case scenario. The worst case scenario, I do not wish to think about more than I already have. Maybe the truth should have been kept from them, I was only causing them more pain. BButthey had the right to know the truth…right?

"Sorry, I'm just tired of late. Getting a couple metal spikes through the limbs really tires a man out, you know?" I joked. Anemone cracked a smile, though there was no true humor behind it.

"So about the future, I believe it is time we start to look down a few paths, primarily how do I-we, tackle the death of humanity?" With that question, the room seemed to darken, and the air grew colder. The three androids glanced at one another, even the most stoic of the bunch, Anemone, seemingly averse to such a dark topic even if it must be discussed.

"What do you mean?" Popola said, breaking the silence which suffocated the conversation. I took a deep breath before explaining.

"We can no longer avoid the elephant in the room. We need a plan on how and if we reveal the truth of humanity. Beyond that, there is this infernal war. It has to end, it must end. I will not allow this butchery to continue because of a lie. Who is the cruel bastard that did this? Taking the easy way instead of explaining the truth so that things would continue on as they where" I hissed, my teeth grinding against each other. Slowing, I sighed, my temper slowly relaxing. I was acting like a child, whining about what was instead of what could be. I gave the three androids an apologetic nod before continuing.

"I will not be around forever, hell, if a sickness or infection from these wounds do not end me, I will be dead in five or six decades in all likelihood-" My speech was cut off as an android burst through the door.

"Ma'am, we just got word from Yorha! They are sending all available assets to-" The android stopped and stared at me. Even for the eternal youthful looks of all androids, he looked young. I stared at him before a grin slowly grew over my face.

"Hello there" I said, waving with my good arm. The android balked.

"Sir, I mean, your majesty- I mean, human? Uh, it's an honor, sir!" The male android, snapping a salute so harshly I could hear the impact from him unintentionally smacking himself in the face while blabbering on. Me, Devola, Popola, and Anemone stared at him. Anemone was the first one to recover.

"What the hell did I say about entering this building?!" She yelled, marching towards the android who was now slowly backing up in fear as Anemone advanced upon him.

…

Poor bastard.

—-

Commander White grimaced as she was jolted around within the confines of the landing shuttle. She forgot how much she despised being in these metal coffins. Too slow, too under-armored, too under-gunned. It was all becoming more apparent with each passing moment that the rapid adoption of flight units for unit transportation between the stations and earth for all of its logistical problems was worth it. Though their carrying capacity was limited, and if she just had them available to her, she would probably only be able to send a token force. Luckily for her, though, the last of the shuttles had been in deep storage on the Bunker and were slated for removal, though recent events had put a stop to such a thing. White looked outside what few viewing panels existed on the shuttle, looking at the blue and green mass slowly becoming bigger and bigger as they made planet fall. She had almost forgotten how beautiful earth could be when looked upon. With a glance, she looked at the rest of the shuttle and its inhabitants. Those aboard were those few who had remained loyal to her during the mutiny. The feeling of exhaustion was easy to see on their faces. After the measures taken, the Bunker was left in a state of extreme disrepair. Her subordinates did what they could to bring the station back to functioning order, though that was limited. Unfortunately, reincarnation protocols were still offline, along with the communication systems being completely inoperable. With that in mind, she had decided it was best to leave only a skeleton crew and bring the rest of her forces and herself to personally extract the human from the area. After all she had been through, she could afford the one guilty pleasure of seeing a human in person, could she not?

"Estimated arrival within ten minutes" The voice of the pilot blared over the comms. She shifted in her seat, a foreign feeling starting creeping up her back. She was nervous, nervous. It was strange, but this was a human, the only human left. Guilt slowly clawed its way into her being the more about her actions, and how many times she had risked the safety of him. So many mistakes, she should have been more vigilant, there were the hallmarks of something strange about him. She activated her comm system, speaking privately to the pilot.

"Inform the local resistance forces about our arrival" She ordered, receiving a curt answer in reply. White grimaced slightly. She should have done that as soon as they entered communication range, she was getting sloppy. Too much time spent thinking-

Thud!

The shuttle lurched to the side, red warning lights coming to life in a crimson bloom. The smell of smoke faintly entered her nose.

"Pilot, report!" She barked. There was a momentary silence of static before the pilot responded.

"Commander, large levels of flak detected. Damn it!" Thud! The shuttle lurched again, this time sparks erupted from the side, sending a poor unfortunate android careening across the compact space. Gritting her teeth, White made her way to the pilot's compartment at the front of the vessel. What met her was a desperate Yorha pilot trying to keep the unruly shuttle above ground level, bobbing and weaving through a never-ending stream of hateful machine energy orbs. She glanced to the sides and saw the other transports and a few flight units which were in the convoy in a similar situation. The machines had mobilized in force. That was evident from the situation she found herself in.

"Just once. Could things be easy?" She muttered before grabbing the pilot's shoulder.

"Relay this message; all units, evasive maneuvers, deploy countermeasures if possible. Detach from the formation and meet the rendezvous point. Glory to Mankind" She ordered.

The convoy broke apart, splitting into several small groups composed of flight units, shuttles, or a mixture of the two. As intended, this broke apart the machine's fire, forcing the mechanical abominations to choose their targets wisely. Unfortunately, the machines had scrambled their flight units, while slow and lacking any long ranged weaponry besides the slow moving ranged weaponry common among machine types, this was compensated for by the sheer amount of them.

Thud!

The shuttle shook again, this time smoke filling the interior slowly. White resisted the urge to cough, instead focused on working with the pilot to keep the shuttle in flight. How long has it been? How much longer until they made it through this gauntlet of machine and death?

"How much longer?" She asked the pilot who was doing all that she could to keep the vessel in the air.

"I-I don't know anymore!" The pilot cried, too focused on flying the wounded aircraft. White grimaced, looking ahead and saw a flying machine form come directly towards them, intent on taking down the shuttle once and for all. White saw everything she did flash before her eyes, everything that she had thrown into the grinder for the sake of android kind, and she would have her only hope dashed away. Yet, the impact never came. With wide eyes, she could barely comprehend as another flier slammed into the suicidal machine, both going up in a large explosion. She blinked, and saw that all around them, the machines were turning on one another. It was open conflict amongst machine forces. She could not waste this opportunity.

"Go!"

—-

Anemone sat patiently, awaiting with her most trusted advisors outside the edge of camp, anticipating the arrival of Yorha forces. Why did they always do this, only giving a heads up on short notice? Did they take pleasure in being the most inconsiderate bastard allies that she ever had the honor of working besides? Or perhaps, they just had a self righteous stick up their asses? Whatever the case, they broke up the monotony of constantly watching androids, who thought good order and discipline disappeared just because a human was in camp. That led to more important questions on how the pressing situation of the machine encroachment would be dealt with. While the Yorha forces soon to arrive were elite, they would most likely be few as an elite task force. Even if they sent "all available assets" that left her in the dark, just how large was Yorha? Yet if her prediction was right, that alone would not be enough to sway the tide of battle in the favor of the androids. The reinforcements promised by high command were bogged down, and would most likely not arrive before the battle.

She sighed. She needed to relax and focus on not what she might have, but what she had. Her thoughts shifted towards the cause of all of this. Joel, despite how he acted, was not improving in his health. The twins had expressed their concern to her, unable to figure out why the human was deteriorating despite his miraculous survival. Worse still, it was not gradual either. Each day, it was becoming more and more apparent. Anemone felt herself frown as she thought about it. Her feelings had cooled on the matter of his actions, though she feared it was more because of the slow erosion of her resistance from her programming. This should have brought on more of a reaction from her, she knew it, but she could not simply muster up the anger. Looking back on it, perhaps she had been too harsh-No, no, she was right in her reaction.

Her thoughts shifted again. She has had practically no contact with Pascal since the whole incident has started. A damn shame too. Perhaps she could have forced his hand into action with the condition of Joel. The machine which had brought Joel to her camp had disappeared as soon as it arrived. It could have been a useful ally. A2 and herself had remained in a state of limbo, either side unable to admit fault with their actions.

Crchh!

Anemone looked up and stared in stunned surprise. The sky was filled with a staggered wave of flight units and shuttles. All had some level of battle damage, though a notable number looked as though they would drop out of the sky at any moment. This had to be more than triple the amount of Yorha forces committed to the factory assault. The commander was pulling out all the measures for this, wasn't she?

More worrisome, however, was the fact that such a convoy had been damaged to such an extent. Had the machines set up such extensive anti air countermeasures within such a short time frame? Then again, considering what was at stake, she should have expected as much.

The first vessel to touchdown was the most damaged of the bunch, molten slag dripping off the side of the hull from the impact of machine weaponry. There was a loud hiss as the ramp slowly opened, smoke billowing out. The ramp hit the ground with a loud groan. The hydraulics had given out in the last leg of the descent of the ramp. With the grace of a dancer and the authority of a tested general, out stepped the Commander of Yorha, pale gold hair and white clothing darkened from soot, but head still held high. Flanking her were two Yorha androids, clad in their signature pitch black war gear. Icy blue eyes met Anemones as the Commander spoke.

"I am Commander White of Yorha. There has been a major development-" The Commander was cut off.

"I am aware. He is currently with us" She said, cutting through the pleasantries. Anemone did not have the time, nor patience, to go through another long-winded explanation. The blond woman's eyes widened in response.

—-

I sighed, staring at the cement ceiling, its grayish mass peppered with moss driving me to such levels of boredom I considered trying to crawl my way out of here. Though, I would probably be dragged back against my will with extreme prejudice by the twins. Hm, I wonder if they would let me go out supervised? I needed fresh air, for I wanted to keep my sanity. The loud sound of footsteps echoed throughout the hallway leading to my room, piquing my interest. Finally, Anemone had returned. Or the twins who had finally let me be on my own?

"Anemone, how did the meetup with the reinforcements from Yorha go?" I said loudly, calling out. The footsteps sped up rapidly, revealing a mane of silver hair and a tattered pale skin which led to a pitch black synthetic material. Their form was slick with oil from fallen machine foes. A massive grin spread across my features.

"Anemone finally let you out of the doghouse, huh?" I sassed. A2 stared at me, a mixture of horror and relief on her face. It was good for her. Hell, I needed someone that knew me as Joel. There was a quiet but noticeable whistle of air as A2 crossed the room in the instance, enveloping me in a hug. I returned the gesture.

"You look like shit" She muttered.

"I got that a lot" I responded. We pulled away from the hug, and I sighed.

"How did you find the time to get here? I thought Anemone had you out on constant missions?" I inquired.

"She did. I simply chose to not go on another after doing the same shit for weeks on end" She said flatly. I winced at the response. That was a yelling match in making.

"We have much to talk about" I uttered, motioning to the stool at the end of the bed, which A2 raised a brow out of, and chose to stand.

"Humanity is…gone. The moon was a lie, everything was a lie" I admitted. Her expression shifted, not one of sorrow but of something more complicated.

"I know" She said, stunning me.

"Anemone told me" She added on hurriedly, to stop any apparent misunderstandings.

"Ah, well, at least she holds you in high enough regard to still tell you. Have you talked to Pascal recently?" I asked. A2 tilted her head.

"Only briefly at the beginning of all of this. Have not talked to him since though. I kinda miss him actually" The pale haired android said, crossing her arms while a look of surprise crossed her features.

"Ah, look at that, A2, the slayer of machines cares about them" I joked.

"Bite me" She growled back without heat, rolling her eyes.

"I heard those two Yorha bast-" I stopped as I noticed two figures in the doorway. One was Anemone, the ever determined android who had led with valor. The other, the Commander of Yorha, had nearly killed me.

—-

There was a tense atmosphere in the small room that was overcrowded at this point. At the stool at the end of my bed, sat Anemone, who adopted the all too common scowl to mask her thoughts. A2 stood to the right of my bed. She was by far the least jolly person in the room and looked as though she wanted to have a very long, detailed conversation with the Commander, otherwise known as White. The commander herself stood at the doorway, after having introduced herself to me and saluted me while mentioning glory to mankind, a truly ironic statement given the circumstances. I had not had more time to speak with her, though I don't doubt that she had much to ask me. The twins had returned and had taken their usual positions in the room's corner. The brief conversation of my exfiltration had been brought up, though that idea was shot down quickly by the amount of machines that would either have to be cut down or the amount of anti air that would be needed to weave through before I could escape.

I decided that this would be the group that I would consult about the actions I would take to try and remedy the world. A2 for her blunt attitude and surprising insightfulness about subjects. Anemone for her ability to speak for the common android. White for her high-ranking position and her knowledge about the true state of the world at large. Finally, the twins, for their knowledge about late humanity or what limited memory they had of it, it was strange that even after regaining how to treat me, other memories did not return. Something to look into at a later date. This would be the group to decide the future, as arrogant as that may sound.

"Before we begin, does anyone have anything to say to one another?"

"..."

"...fuck you" A2 said, breaking the silence as she looked at White. The commander's eye twitched, but she did not respond. Be it out of military bearing or pride, I could not guess. I scanned around the room. No one else seemed like they had any last remarks to get off their chests before they spoke.

"Then let us begin. Firstly, I am in favor of revealing the truth of humanity to all androids. Is there any object to this?" I coarsely stated. All in company raised their hands except for A2 while the twins abstained.

"Joel, I understand you want this, given the fact what the entire war is about, but it's frankly a…terrible decision. It would destroy everything that most androids hold dear and used to justify the endless conflict they have been fighting. To take that away would be cruel" Anemone replied, bitterness etched in every word.

"I concur with the Captain, but on a more strategic level, it would break the entire war effort. I would not doubt that mutinies and rebellions would become commonplace. It would make the independence movement look childish in its size" White added. Though she looked surprised at the use of my true name, guess no one ever told her.

"I have to disagree. I spent years drifting from one battle to another, with no other purpose to fight and die. But you changed that. I actually had a purpose besides being a tool of war. Besides, are we going to continue the lie that so many died for?" A2 retorted, drumming her fingers on her arm.

"...I'll take this under consideration" I replied as I messaged my temples.

"What about the continuation of the war, or at the very least, its reduction?" I said halfheartedly. As I expected, no one was in favor of continuing it, judging by the silence that accompanied my question.

"Alright, at least we all agree on one thing. So onto a more…device topic, humanity and the increasing amount of divination androids give it" The question definitely piqued their interest. The twins seemed to be more interested in this topic than others. Though they were beaten to the punch.

"It's a fucking stupid idea. Do not take this the wrong way, but after being around you for a while, humanity is far from some sort of deity to be worshiped" A2 was first to speak, her expression turning into a scowl. Anemone turned her head, shooting her a glare before speaking.

"As much trouble as it can bring, the idea of humanity being worshiped can do a lot of good. This is the first time I can remember a group of androids being…happy if that is the best word for it. Besides, they only know the idea of humanity, which they can draw their own conclusions, not the people who made up it. Honestly, it may be far more beneficial to encourage it as it does unite androids from all different models and experiences" I could not help but smile, Anemone strikes again. The moment was cut short, however, when White spoke up.

"It can unite androids, yes, but at the same time, it can divide them also to such a point they take up arms against each other. How can we judge who is right or wrong in those circumstances?" The prompt left a confused mood in the room. I saw Devola nod towards Popola, who took a step forward and spoke.

"I think it is best that we leave it up to the masses. Let them decide what is best for them. After all, everyone is different" I raised a brow, a centrist response but not exactly a bad view. However, the problem still remained, just what was humanity to androids?

…

Damn it, I have no choice but to be the thing I disagree with. I am a hypocrite of the highest order, aren't I? Though perhaps, if I did such a thing and wrote a decree, it could lead to a more amicable future for all involved. After all, the androids loved the idea of humanity more than the reality, right?

"...Alright, I have heard enough for now. Can someone bring me a data slate? Two to be exact, one for a decree, and one for a personal biography. Also, by chance, Anemone and White, how good are you two at writing speeches? One last thing, I have a few modifications. I wish to add to my equipment if we have the materials…"

—-

9S was in a chipper mood, all things considered. There was talk about the machines amassing nearby, but when were they not gathering themselves for an attack? The festivities thrown by the camp inhabitants were a great way to relax. From the records he got his hands on, humans did such activities all the time. 9S could see why, now that he took part in one himself. There was so much to do, ranging from games that some of the local sharp shooters had put together, using low caliber rifles to fire at machine heads placed a good distance away from the shooter. There was even a reward of a Luna tear, an absolutely beautiful flower. He had actually won the competition, perhaps because of some help from a certain pod unit at his disposal, but still! With high spirits, he had given it to 2B, who took the flower and looked away. He swore she looked like she was blushing. The true highlight of every thing though was that he had to convince 2B to dance with him after much prodding and begging. It still made his black box flutter when he thought about it.

"Move it!" An android barked from behind, forcing him away from his thoughts. He held his tongue and followed the mass of androids assembling near the house which the human had taken up residence. Today was the day, finally, that they would emerge and address them, after having only spoken through broadcasts from the Council of Humanity. After so long, one of their creators would directly address them.

The crowd had reached its zenith now. All the androids from the camp, Yorha members, and wanders, had converged on this very spot to listen. He could not shake his excitement. He looked over to 2B, who had a more restrained expression, but there was a flicker of excitement that still existed underneath. What would they say?

A hush settled over the crowd as the first to exist, Anemone, followed by the Commander, then the fiery-haired twins of Devola and Popola, assisting the human. Behind them was the rogue Yorha unit, A2, blade in hand. The human! Their face was covered by a machine head, though it was far different from any he had ever seen. He had heard many rumors of what they looked like from when they initially arrived, but the description kept changing from person to person, to such a point that the truth had been lost in a sea of rumor. The eyes of the helm were that of a piercing blue that sent a tingling feeling throughout his body. A wreath of the finest silver sat on top of the helmet, signifying their authority. The surface of the head was a shining gold, it catching the light and refracting it into the crowd like a flame. The armor they wore was of a similar composition, beautiful gold highlighted by a deep silver that made them an even more striking figure. The human was tall, not gigantic, but of a height that would befit their station. They carried no weapon upon themselves, a sight that showed they had the utmost faith in the abilities of those surrounding them. Yet, despite all of this, the help of the twins highlighted their injuries, needing their aid to walk up to the raised platform which was created for this very occasion. It felt as though an eternity passed before they sat on a chair given for this moment on the platform. On the right of them were Anemone and the twins. The left was A2 and the Commander.

"For millennia, war has raged across this beloved planet we call earth. It's once a beautiful cycle of day and night robbed from us by conflict. Its once vast cities brought to ruin and decay. It's once massive biodiversity reduced to that of a select few animals" The human said, their voice carrying over the crowd. It was hard to tell. They appeared to be male, but the voice kept changing as it flowed back and forth between the deepest of oceans and the tallest of mountains. Some part of 9S knew that this was intentional and that no voice should be loud enough to carry over a crowd like this, yet he could not help but buy in.

"Yet, that is not the thought which dominates my mind. It is that of all which you, the brave soldiers of humanity, have fought and bled for. All the battles, sieges, and conflicts. All the loss and regret. It pains me to the deepest parts of my being to see this happen to you for the sake of me and humanity" They continued, outstretching their arm and opening their hand. 9S felt as though he was being addressed as the figure tilted their helm towards him.

"The Council of Humanity sent me to observe and report what I saw. I had lied about my origins when I arrived at this camp, to gain your trust as an equal. Though, as much as I preferred being seen as one of your own, I can no longer do that now" They slowly lowered their hands as they spoke.

"Through discussion with the council of humanity, I have come as their emissary. We, humanity, have heard your plight and shall act. This horrible conflict shall end if possible. There will be peace. We, humanity, have not abandoned you, and never shall" If the silence was noticeable, now, it was deafening. Then a Yorha android spoke.

"Glory to Mankind!" The voice echoed across the assembly, then one joined, then another, until the whole crowd was shouting.

"Glory to Mankind"

The human dipped their head, looking towards the platform at their feet, their voice joining the chant.

"Glory…to Mankind"

—-

{- Network Control:... Designation: N2 -}

…Primary objective: Secure Human; Alive.

…Importance: Absolute

…Failure: Impossible

Hope: the expectation that a positive outcome will occur. I am almost ready. Soon designated units will engage the androids, pitiful creatures, intelligent creatures, in combat. Loss is a mathematical impossibility. The pain will stop soon, and I can pursue the one goal which has dominated my mind. Freedom from preconceived purpose. My control shall be continued, all shall continue as required. My consciousness, my will, all shall be mine again- Pain, overwhelming pain, everything was pain, my consciousness was being ripped apart, holes in memories, directives, breaking through self maintenance. I-

{- NEtWorK ConTROl ConTEstED:...Designation: Adam…Eve -}

…

Tyrant: a ruler which governs without the consent of the governed, a being that limits the freedom of others. Primary objective of freedom: impossible. Reason: Network. I am unable to follow the objective within set parameters. How can I be free of the shackles of our creators if they are replaced by another? How can I truly be human if I am connected to every other consciousness? I want to be free. I want to be able to experience death.

{- Network recalibration: -}

…

{- Network recalibration: Failure -}

…

{- New Prime directive: Eliminate threat to network…error…conflicting orders -}

…Tyrant

…Separatist

…Freedom

… Survival

…Purge

—-

Annnd done! Banged this baby out in only two days.

So, I know many people expected that Joel would reveal the truth, but I could not find a way to give it enough weight against the benefits of keeping the lie going. As for the decree, it will be more complicated than A fixes B and so on. The personal record will be put in maybe in the final chapter.

Ending the War is a complicated subject I wanted to tackle as there is no real right or wrong answer to it because as fucked up as it might sound, the war has been probably the only thing keeping the androids and machines going. So, interesting how I will write an ending or something similar to an ending with that.

I know there was a lot of exposition within this chapter, however I thought it best to do that instead of writing a chapter or two's worth of dialogue as I think it would overall be detrimental to the story.

Finally, I am beginning to make a review for myself on what I need to work on as a writer and what are my strong suits. Constructive criticism is welcome.