"I apologize for my behavior yesterday." 2B stared at the ground in shame, her blue eyes shining with regret, uncovered from their usual black bindings. The normally composed and stoic YoRHa android fidgeted nervously with the blindfold in her hand while 9S stood supportively behind her, a small amused smile tugging at the corner of his lips, greatly amused at seeing his partner acting so meek.
A2 looked upon the battle android with her familiar look of disinterest that bordered on contempt on her face, steel-blue eyes sharp and cold, but internally she had already forgiven her combat counterpart. The former YoRHa soldier understood, more than anyone, how irrational an android can become, especially now with something worth protecting in their lives. But that didn't mean she didn't enjoy seeing her squirm.
After Leah and A2 had made up, remaining locked in a comforting embrace for what felt like hours, the two of them just enjoying a moment of peace after the emotionally tumultuous day they had had, the pair exited Devola and Popola's room to the smug grins of the redheaded androids. Leah had thanked the pair profusely for letting her stay the last couple of hours, the twin androids waving it off saying they were always there to help, but that she was going to return to her room with A2.
As they headed off to their shared bedroom, Leah's subconsciously clutching the silver-haired android's hand in hers, A2 gave the twins a thankful nod, Devola shooting back a two-fingered salute as Popola waved her off with a giggle. A2 had grown to respect the redheaded sisters and shot them a quick smile before being dragged away by an exhausted Leah, the human girl in desperate need of some sleep.
"I should not have said the things I did, nor devalue you and to antagonize A2 in such a way. It was not my intention and I am greatly ashamed of my behavior. I hope you can forgive me." Bowing her head slightly, eyes downcast and regretful, 2B was surprised when she was suddenly pulled into a warm hug by the brown-haired girl.
"I know, 2B. Yesterday was bad for all of us. I forgive you." While understanding each other better and having built up a strong bond of trust, A2 couldn't help but bristle as Leah hugged the other female android, 2B smiling happily as she wrapped her arms around the smaller girl. A2 hated this feeling, but she managed to keep her anger in check, choosing to simply tap her foot in annoyance.
The two of them broke apart after their short embrace, Leah immediately returning to A2's side, the human girl elbowing her playfully in the side as she gave the android a knowing grin. Putting on a mock frown, A2 flicked the brown-haired girl on the forehead, Leah letting out a small squawk of shock as she grabbed at her aching head. Glaring at each other, the pair eventually broke out into a fit of giggles, the YoRHa soldiers watching the strange interaction in perplexed silence.
"9S and I were assigned to investigate a strange signal coming from the collapsed segment of the city." Turning toward the short-haired woman, curiosity shining in Leah and A2's eyes at 2B's sudden exclamation. "We were wondering if the two of you would be able to help us."
"Both of us?" Leah asked with a surprised tone, emphasizing the word 'both', the human girl clearly not expecting such a request from the YoRHa soldiers.
"We won't underestimate or make you feel inferior again." 2B said with a gentle smile as 9S agreed wholeheartedly with his partner. "Protecting you is still our priority, but we will never steal your life from you."
A2 could only smile at the joyous shine in Leah's eyes, the human girl holding her hand to her heart as she thanked the YoRHa androids profusely, the combat model happy to see her back in such high spirits. The time-traveling girl's enthusiasm and the joy she brought to everyone she met was something A2 wished would never go away.
"I'll go get changed and grab my stuff!" Running to the silver-haired woman's side, a wide grin spread on the brown-haired girl's cheeks, Leah gave her arm a quick squeeze before dashing off toward their shared room as she yelled back at her from over her shoulder. "I'll be right back!"
Watching the eager human girl disappear into the building, the heavy metal door swinging shut with an audible bang, the trio of androids gave each other a quick glance, one that was completely devoid of any suspicion or hatred. They all shared a connection with the last-surviving human, one that was uniquely theirs, and this helped them form a silent truce amongst each other.
And so they waited for Leah's return, their spirits lifted and black boxes resonating with peace, in companionable silence.
Climbing down into the gaping maw of the crater, the shattered remains of the city center lying in ruins at the bottom, A2 was once again astounded by the immensity of the destruction that had befallen the area. Seeing a whole section of the city turned into a massive crater, especially from within, had the former YoRHa soldier feeling on edge.
Staring up at the sheer cliff walls as they made their down the rocky pathway leading into the center of the large hole, the combat android had a feeling they were descending into danger, her years of living on the planets surface giving her a greater sense of self-preservation which has only enhanced after meeting Leah. A2 did not trust YoRHa and their commands, so knowing this mission was directly ordered by the Commander left a bad feeling in her black box.
Hopping off of the last ledge into the main section of the pit, her steel-blue eyes scanning for any threats, A2 turned to offer her hand to help Leah down, the human girl giving her a small smile in thanks. A2 knew this was probably going to lead to danger, as most things in her life do, but she knew the human girl would offer her help to anyone she could, that's just the type of person she was. This meant A2 had to go too, to make sure Leah stayed safe. The combat android had to admit to herself that she wanted to help their new allies as well if nothing more than to make things easier for the time-traveling human.
"Curious," Everyone turned to face the scanner model as 9S stroked his chin in confusion, "the signal is originating from further down. A cave system must have been unearthed when this part of the city collapsed."
Walking further into the crater, the group came across a pit that led even further downward, the water from the broken sewage pipes pooling at the bottom. A2 could make out the barest hint of a cave opening at the bottom, the worry she felt earlier returning when she noticed what seemed like torchlight glowing from within. Either someone had found the cave first or it was not natural forming. No matter which option was true, it could only be trouble.
"How are we going to get down there?" Leah turned to her android companions, her green eyes staring at them questioningly as she tried to figure out what they will do. Grinning confidently, 9S took a running leap off of the edge, Leah letting out a frightened scream only to stare in wonder as the male android grabbed a hold of his Pods legs and safely glided to the bottom. Landing with a small splash at the bottom, 9S lifted his head and gave them a thumbs-up, grin still plastered on his face.
"What a child." 2B shook her head in shame at her partner's antics, fingers pressed into her forehead in annoyance, but A2 still noticed the small affectionate smile on the battle androids lips. So there was a soft side to the stoic soldier after all. "He could have just jumped down."
"But how am I going to get down? I can't survive a fall like that, plus I don't have a Pod like you two. Do you, A2?" Shaking her head to the negative, A2 pondered the same thing as she calculated the depth of the hole. It was an easy enough situation if she were alone, her body able to withstand falls from much greater heights than this, but without the help of a Pod it would be impossible for Leah to get down. The force at which she would land if anyone carried her while jumping down would surely injure the human girl very severely.
"Pod can easily help support two of us." Steel-blue eyes widening in surprise, A2 turned to glare harshly at the short-haired woman as she pulled the human girl into her side, wrapping her arm securely around Leah's waist, before leaping off of the side of the cliff. A small blush spread on Leah's cheeks at the proximity of 2B's body, the sight making A2 feel a painful sting in her chest. Watching the pair float to the bottom, their bodies pressed together, caused an angry growl to rumble from A2's chest as she jumped after them, plummeting at dizzying speed to the ground below.
Landing with a loud crash, the ground cracking slightly as she impacted with the concrete, water splashing all around her, A2 glared harshly as 2B touched down shortly after, the battle android placing Leah gently down with a gentle smile on her lips. Smiling back, Leah thanked 2B for her help before returning to A2's side, the fact she did that not going unnoticed by the combat android. It caused a small flutter in her system, knowing Leah preferred to stay close to her making the long-haired woman feel a wonderful spark of joy.
"I'll take point, while 9S you take the rear. A2, I know you will keep Leah safe so stay by her side." Nodding dutifully, 9S placed himself behind the pair, A2 feeling her respect for 2B grow once more as she led them into the shadowy depths of the cave. The battle android was truly trying her best to make up for her mistake and make peace between them. The No. 2 model had to admit that YoRHa did something right when they made these two.
With Pod 042's light guiding the way, the group descended further into the cave, their footsteps and the water droplets falling from the ceiling the only sound, the group traveling in nervous silence. Turning a corner, 2B suddenly stuck her hand out in warning, the rest of the group coming to a stop as the battle android grabbed the sword floating on her back. There were enemies nearby.
With practiced speed, 2B leapt at the unsuspecting robots, dispatching both of them with ease, the machines standing no chance against the trained YoRHa soldier. Reconvening with the short-haired woman, A2 giving her a thankful nod, they continued their trek into the depths of the cave, the lit torches hanging off of the wall putting all of them on edge. There was something strange going on down here.
"What's that?" Leah asked as she pointed further down the corridor, the androids following the direction of her gesture to a truly disturbing sight. A strange metallic ramp-way led to a large set of steel doors, its design clashing with the natural surroundings around it, but this was not the weirdest part.
What had them worried was the large number of machine corpses littering the area, way more than should be possible in the short time the crater had formed, their smashed corpses lining the sides of the cave as if they had been meticulously placed there to keep the path clear. Were they trying to get in or had something tried to keep them out?
No matter what the answer was, they would not find it standing around outside and so they continued on, A2 sticking a little closer to Leah's side as they approached the large metal doors, which surprisingly opened on their own with a gentle hiss. Whatever this place was, it was still receiving power and fully functional. That meant something living might be inside, a small part of the assembled group hoping it might be more human survivors.
But that hope was quickly dashed as they entered the interior of the metallic structure.
"What is this place?" 2B asked as they followed a long pathway, blue light-beams rising at the edges of the bridge, toward a circular platform in the middle, their eyes roaming over the strange interior in awe. Four sets of eyes roamed over the strange technological marvel before them, none of them having seen anything like it before. It was nothing they had ever seen on earth.
"I don't know. There's nothing like it in the database." The scanner model responded to his partner with equal confusion in his voice, his mouth hanging open in amazement as he took in this never before seen sight, his naturally curious mind alight with activity.
"I don't like this." A2 said as she summoned her sword, Leah clenching her lead pipe tightly in her fist at her side as they descended down a set of stairs at the end of the ramp-way, their footsteps echoing ominously through the empty chamber.
As soon as they stepped down onto the main floor, their gaze swinging back in forth as they kept their eyes out for any threats. Light started flooding the room as large metal shutters began lifting up before them, illuminating the surrounding area so they could finally get a clear view of just what they had found.
"Wh-what are those?" Voice quivering with fear, the androids brought their attention to the frightened human as Leah pointed at something behind them. Their eyes widened as they followed the human girl's line of sight to a set of large, reptilian looking creatures, their heads large and deformed with sunken-in eyes, their bodies lying unmoving within strange seats cut out from the central dais.
These must have been the aliens that invaded earth and brought the machine menace with them all those millennia ago.
"Are they dead?" 2B asked, her voice full of disbelief at what they had found, A2 sharing her combat brethren's surprise, the former YoRHa soldier having thought they disappeared ages ago. To find them again, buried so deep underground, could only be bad news.
"Everyone! Look!" Turning to face the lone male, everyone was shocked once again at what they were seeing, the large viewing window revealing a multitude of strange-looking structures buried in the earth.
"Destroyed alien motherships…." 2B whispered in disbelief, everyone's eyes glued upon the strange sight before them, unable to comprehend just how many unbelievable discoveries they were finding in such a short amount of time. A2 could feel the dread in the back of her mind grow more and more as the revelations continued to pile up one by one. Something was severely wrong here.
"What?" Leah stared at the battle android in shock, bewildered by the knowledge she had just learned, her gaze sweeping over the ruined spaceships, creeping terror rising in her emerald eyes. "Aliens?"
"Welcome…" wheeling around in shock, A2 quickly stepped in front of Leah, putting herself between the human and the newly arrived threat, her sword materializing in her palm in an instant, "to the graveyard of our creators."
Two males, with silver hair reminiscent of YoRHa type androids, stood before them, blocking the stairs leading to the exit, their posture radiating quiet confidence as if nothing can harm them. The one with longer hair casually adjusted his glasses, his red eyes scanning the four people before him with amused curiosity, while his short-haired companion regarded them with quiet contempt.
"You again?" A2 whirled around to face the battle android as she spoke those words, her eyebrows furrowed in anger as she glared at 2B, the YoRHa soldiers facing the strange pair with grim looks on their faces.
"You know them?!" Voice coming out in a strangled growl, A2's steel-blue gaze flashing with anger, the combat android was enraged to find out that the two of them knew of this potential threat and had failed to inform them. Her demand for an answer would have to wait as the long-haired enemy addressed them once more, his quiet, self-assured voice echoing within the metal confines of the alien spaceship.
"There are two more than we expected. Not that it will matter." Lowering his right hand, A2 stepping closer to Leah's side, the obvious leader of the two presented them with a thin smile that was full of contempt and malice. "We have merely come here to talk. My name is Adam and this is my brother, Eve."
"What could machines possibly want to talk to us about!?" 2B pulled the blade from her back as she stalked menacingly toward the pair, 9S following suit as he slowly flanked the pair of humanoid machines, the YoRHa soldiers clearly aware of the threat the two of them presented.
A2 stuck close to the brown-haired girl's side, keeping an eye out for any hostile signs directed toward the human girl, Leah holding her pipe protectively in front of her, a small glimmer of courage and defiance hidden within the fear flashing in her emerald gaze.
"Can I kill them now?" Everyone tensed up at Eve's nonchalant threat, the short-haired twin casually stretching his neck in preparation, his cold glare causing Leah to recoil further behind her silver-haired companion. Adam placed a reassuring hand upon his brother's shoulder as he smiled peacefully at the assembled group.
"Not now, Eve. We are here to offer them a deal." Removing his hand, Adam placed his right palm over his chest, bowing apologetically to them. "Forgive my brother, he can be a bit…excitable."
"We wish to simply share our knowledge, to learn more about each other. It's all we ever want." Adam's smooth voice flowed out from his lips like silk, each word pronounced with deliberate care and attention, exuding a false sense of civility that belied the dangerous glint in his red eyes.
"I'll even be gracious and share some of our knowledge with you first. You see these aliens, our creators?" Sweeping his arm out in grand gesture, a dark grin spreading on their lips as they smiled maliciously. "We, machines, killed them."
"Wh-what?!" Leah shrieked in fear, her hands flying to cover her mouth as a pair of red eyes turned to stare at her, their crimson depths studying her with curiosity. Realization dawning on his face, Adam displayed an emotion besides quiet confidence and hostility for the first time as he stared at the human girl with a wide, ecstatic grin. One of pure, sadistic elation.
"My, my what have we here?" Taking a couple of threatening steps toward the brown-haired girl, the androids standing protectively between him and Leah, Adam reaching out toward the human with a bright smile on his lips. "You are human, aren't you, my dear?"
"Stay away from her!" Growling fiercely, A2 slashed at his throat with blinding speed, the long-haired man dodging her swing with ease before leaping back to his brother's side, holding his arm out as Eve made to lunge at the combat android. "You will die before you ever lay a hand on her."
"Ah, so this is the fabled 'Protection Programming' they speak of." Adam chuckled as he lifted his glasses back up to the bridge of his nose, his close meeting with A2's blade having not phased him one bit. "Though something seems, different, about you. It's all just so fascinating. This is the perfect chance to see what the big deal with humans is."
"I don't care, as long as I can hear her scream." Eve cackled madly, his crazed, red eyes staring at the human girl with a sadistic hunger, Adam merely smiling at his brother's insatiable appetite for violence.
That was the last thing they needed to hear before the androids leapt at the machine pair, their weapons at the ready, prepared to defend Leah to the death. 2B and 9S immediately engaged with the more violent Eve, the short-haired man dodging their attacks expertly, the grazing hits that did manage to land being healed in an instant as he made his counter attack.
Dodging out of the way, 9S shot a hacking beam toward the sadistic machine as 2B leapt at him with an overhead slash. Eve merely teleported out of the way, causing 2B sword to clash loudly with the metal floor before she quickly rolled out of the way, barely dodging a violent ax-kick that the short-haired twin had aimed at her head. Standing side by side, 9S and 2B studied their opponent's movements carefully, their defenses at an all-time high as they tried to figure out a way to defeat Eve.
A2, meanwhile, had gone after the long-haired twin, her sword slashing at him savagely, each strike poised to kill the evolved machine. Adam managed to barely avoid every one of her attacks, despite their seeming lack of forethought, each sword swipe was thrown with excellent skill and finesse, keeping the bespectacled machine on his toes.
"Such ferocity. You are very different from your brethren. Something happened to you, something horrible." Adam taunted her as he sent a swift punch toward the android's face, one A2 quickly ducked under, swiping at his legs in the same motion.
Hopping over the slash, Adam created some distance between the two, one A2 was not willing to grant him as she quickly closed the distance between them, her blade embedding itself into his arm as he brought it up to protect himself from her deadly strike.
Grimacing slightly in pain, blood rolling down his arm, Adam's smile, however, did not falter as he pulled A2 closer, his voice thick with curiosity and malice.
"But that's not where this strength is coming from. No, you are fighting for something different, something you treasure very much. It must be very special to you, enough to throw your life away to protect it. What could it be?" Glaring directly into his probing red eyes, A2's gaze briefly shifted toward the human girl standing off to the side, her lead pipe clutched tightly against her chest as her emerald eyes flittered between the battling parties in a frightful panic.
Following the android's line of sight, Adam's grin grew wider as he pulled his arm free from the combat models blade, blood spraying out in a crimson geyser, before sending A2's hurtling toward the other end of the room with a crushing kick to the stomach.
Screaming out in pain, A2 rolled across the ground for several feet before crashing violently into the metal wall with a resounding thud, her head swimming slightly from the force of impact. Lifting her gaze, the combat android quickly scanned the room for Leah, the black box in her chest freezing up as she saw the long-haired machine approach the human girl, his bleeding arm outstretched to her in a beckoning manner.
The human girl was pressed up against the viewing window behind her with no way to escape the advancing Adam, her legs quivering in fear as he got closer and closer to her, a deeply unsettling smile on his lips. Leah's eyes jumped between all of the androids, emerald orbs wide with terror as she looked toward the battling YoRHa soldiers and the prone A2, desperately searching for someone, anyone, to save her.
Jumping back to her feet, the combat model android quickly dashed toward the advancing machine, trying, needing, to reach her before he could. A2 knew the machines could teleport, possibly even a large distance, and that these two were ruthless and downright sadistic when it came to their curiosity about humans. There was no way she was letting anything happen to Leah. She just had to be faster.
Running with all her might, A2's steel-blue eyes were filled with unspeakable fear as she watched Adam reach out toward the human girl, the combat android too far away to reach them in time. This couldn't happen. She can't lose Leah. Not like this, not ever. There were so many things she still needed to tell her, to learn about her, to experience with her. She needed Leah to stay with her forever. A2 didn't want to be alone again.
A dull, wet thunk of metal on skin resounded through A2's ears like thunder, her eyes going wide as she watched Adam stumble back slightly, his hand pressed against his reddening cheek as he grimaced in pain. Leah stumbled slightly as she lost momentum from her uncoordinated swing, her legs trembling slightly as she caught herself before she could tumble to the ground, a small trickle of blood dripping off of the tip of her lead pipe.
Leah had landed a blow upon Adam.
This momentary distraction was enough for A2 to make it back to Leah's side, quickly switching to her gauntlets and landing a devastating punch to Adam's injured cheek, the long-haired twin recoiling in pain as the silver-haired woman rained blow after blow upon his body, each punch thrown with 100% of her strength.
Ducking low to avoid a strike, Adam was met with a quick knee to the face before being launched toward the stairs with a vicious front kick by A2, his body colliding roughly with the uneven surface. Pressing her advantage, A2 switched to her sword and dashed after the injured machine, the tip of her blade pointed squarely at Adam's head.
A flash of silver in the corner of her eye caused A2 to stop suddenly, Eve's kick whizzing past, mere inches from her face as he placed himself between the android and his brother, red-eyes glaring at her in a vengeful frenzy.
"Keep your fucking hands off my brother!" Standing protectively in front of his injured brother, Eve growled angrily at the androids, the trio keeping themselves between him and the human girl, each side waiting for the other to make the first move.
"That's enough Eve. It looks like it's about time we took our leave. We have learned quite a lot of interesting things today." Stepping up to Eve's side, his hand still pressed against his aching stomach, Adam grinned maliciously as his red eyes stared unblinking at the brown-haired girl being protected by the trio of androids. "I'm sure we'll see each other again, human."
With those words, the pair disappeared in a swirl of golden light, leaving no trace of their existence behind except for Adam's last lingering threat. Staying on alert, in case they were being lured into a trap, the androids slowly lowered their weapons when they were sure the machine twins would not return.
"What the hell were you thinking!?" A2 hollered angrily as she rounded on the YoRHa soldiers, her fists clenched with rage at her sides, steel-blue eyes glaring intensely at 2B and 9S. "How could you not tell us about them?! You put Leah in danger with your stupidity!"
9S slowly lifted his arm, prepared to apologize to the enraged android for their mistake, but he was quickly interrupted by his female partner.
"I'm sorry." Stepping up to stand before the incensed A2, the short-haired android bowed apologetically to the former YoRHa soldier, her usually stoic and monotone voice thick with regret. "It was my mistake. We had underestimated them and we almost paid dearly for it. I am truly sorry."
A2 glared down at the prostrating YoRHa soldier for several seconds, her teeth bared as she felt the rage swirl through her system. 2B remained unmoving, her head hanging low, awaiting A2's angry outburst, prepared to face any punishment the long-haired woman will give her.
"I'll forgive you." Unclenching her fist, her shoulders loosening, A2 let her anger slowly dissipate, her steel-blue gaze softening as she turned away from the bowing soldier. "You helped protect Leah, that's enough for me. We've all made mistakes. Learn from this and never let it happen again."
"We won't." Lifting herself back into an upright position, 2B gave the long-haired woman a thankful smile before turning back to the entrance and heading up the stairs with a purposeful stride. "I think it best we leave. We need to report this to command and it'll be safer outside.
"Thank you, A2. Your much nicer than I first thought." Scoffing angrily at the scanner model, A2 waved him off with a dismissive flick of her wrist, a small, displeased frown on her face at the boy's casual insult. Grinning cheekily, 9S quickly bounded up the steps, almost colliding with the female android at the top of the stairs, 2B glaring at him with her arms crossed angrily. Gulping loudly, 9S knew he was going to get another one of 2B's patented disapproving speeches.
Hearing Leah walk up behind her, A2 was surprised to feel the human girl gently slip her hand into the combat androids, the warmth of her palm spreading throughout her system like wildfire. Turning her head, curiosity shining in her steel-blue gaze, A2 looked into the smiling face of the brown-haired girl.
"Thank you for saving me again. And…for not fighting."
Returning the brown-haired girl's smile, her features softening as she stared into Leah's brilliant emerald eyes, A2 gave the girl's hand an affectionate squeeze.
A/N: Two troublesome boys have appeared.
Our first real antagonists have made their appearance. I had to change the Adam and Eve dialogue quite a bit, as their big speech would have been pointless when what they are so interested in is right in front of them.
We got a little more character development for both Leah and A2 in this chapter, even if Leah did not get much time to shine. Though her whacking Adam in the face with the pipe is her first step toward overcoming her fear and learning to protect herself in this new time. A2 meanwhile is learning to let go of her rage and to not see everyone as an enemy, being able to live herself without the constant need for self-preservation.
Next chapter: Rock-a-bye baby.
All of you have been so wonderful, giving my little story a chance, your sweet words, and amazing support making me extremely happy. Thank you all so much for your continued(and new) support. Everyone stay safe and take care of yourself. I love you all!