Chapter II:

Third Eye

Devola cast a line out to sea. 9S watched as her lure sunk beneath the waves. They sat at the edge of a road that bordered the sea. The haunting sight of ancient, flooded buildings was their only company.

Popola sat to his right. She and her sister were having a back and forth about something. 9S had stopped listening a while ago. Eventually, he laid down. Resting his back on the concrete, he stared up at the sky.

Dark clouds remained forever frozen in time. They were a bit darker than usual. The formation was starting to resemble a storm. It was always cloudy in this particular area but never quite this gloomy. A fierce rain threatened to pour down on them at any moment but it never came. Yet just as the thought of rain came to him and was dismissed, he felt something land on his cheek.

He touched his face. Moisture. Could it have been an actual droplet? He waited to see if more would fall but he felt nothing. 9S laid his head back down where his scrutiny of the sky continued uninterrupted for some time.

Devola would reel in the occasional fish and throw it to a pile while she and her sister rambled on about whatever was on their minds. To his own surprise, 9S felt an odd sense of solace. He even entertained the idea of leaving all those lost memories alone provided such a moment would continue in perpetuity.

Of course, however, it would not be possible. His once blissful expression soured as a certain support pod crept into his peripherals. She floated a fair distance overhead and moved to cut off his view of the sky. 9S flung himself upright. The abrupt motion startled the twins.

"What do you want," 9S inquired begrudgingly.

Pod 153 floated around to the front of the ledge, placing herself in view of all three androids.

"It has been a total of 73 hours since our last encounter," 153 announced. "Recommendation: Units Devola, Popola, and 9S should relay their current status."

"What status," asked Devola. "We're fishing if that's what you mean."

"Have you noticed any physical or mental impairments," inquired 153.

9S smeared at his former support pod. Her automated voice never sounded so grating until then. "I find your questions to be an impairment on my peace of mind. Does that count?"

He felt Popola's elbow nudge his side rather sharply.

"Easy. There's no reason to be so hostile. I swear you and Devola are on the same wavelength sometimes."

Devola snickered at the remark. She leaned in closer to 9S. The boy ducked his head to hide his flustered appearance.

"We're just pragmatic," Devola corrected.

Popola ignored her sister and turned to face the pod. She gave the floating automaton a reassuring smile. "We're just fine. We'll keep an eye on each other and if anything odd happens, you'll be the first to know."

"Appreciated. Secondly, have any signs of logic virus infection been detected?"

Out of the corner of her eye, Popola noticed 9S flinch, or rather, she thought she did. Out of curiosity, Popola glinted his way but soon dismissed it.

"Thankfully, no," she informed.

"Understood. Data collection complete. This unit will leave now to avoid causing further conflict. Apologies for the interruption."

Pod 153 promptly flew back toward the ruins at a remarkable speed. 9S watched until she disappeared behind the skyline. He groaned and laid back down.

"What was that all about?"

"I think she's worried about you," said Popola.

9S made no comment on the issue. He focused his attention on the gathering clouds. For a time, the twins returned to quietly fishing, leaving him to his thoughts. He could almost recall something which happened far overhead. Somewhere in the sky, he was reminded of a massive source of light.

The more he strained to remember, the more the image in his head obscured until nothing remained of it. So close to regaining a memory that seemed particularly important, yet so far.

It was an infuriating experience, but it almost gave 9S a glimmer of hope. He began to entertain the idea that perhaps his memories, or at least some of them, were not entirely gone. The android brainstormed different ways he could forcibly jog them. To bring them back from whatever mental block kept them concealed.

"Anyone feel that," asked Devola.

9S rolled his head in her direction. She looked to the sky, holding a free hand upward as if she were anticipating something would fall into her open palm.

"Feel what," her sister inquired.

"Rain."

"I haven't felt anything of the sort. Looking at those clouds, though, I wouldn't doubt it."

Devola lowered her hand. An idea clearly struck her. The redhead perked up and immediately turned to 9S. "Hey, what do you know about this area? You helped bring down that large goliath machine, didn't you? Remember anything specific about that?"

Popola's gloomy expression lit up. Her sister's intention was not lost on her. "Good idea, sis. Maybe retracing your steps will help."

9S was uncertain as to how well this idea of theirs was going to work out, but he was intrigued enough to entertain them. He took a moment to recall the battle.

"I already remember everything before the Tower sprung up, but I suppose it wouldn't hurt. Once we defeated the goliath, I was sent flying, and…"

9S hesitated. He searched his mind for information he should have but he could not quite remember what happened after that. In a panic, he turned toward the skyline. Another stray droplet struck his face and ran down his cheek.

A wall of ruined buildings led to the old city. He traced the rooftops in search of the exact trajectory. It was an impossible thing to find, however, something struck him. A metaphorical light bulb switched on in his head. Without uttering another word, he took off down the path of ancient asphalt.

"I landed somewhere beyond those buildings," he exclaimed.

Devola and Popola sprung to their feet and pursued him. The same urgency that drove 9S was lost on them. Nonetheless, they kept to his rushed pace if for nothing else than to keep an eye on him and his frantic state.

In the short time it had taken for him to navigate back to the surface, a violent storm enveloped the skies. Rain pounded the surface with striking fury. Bolts of vibrant lightning lit up the skies. Authoritative claps of thunder did not linger far behind.

Obnoxious gales sent torrential rain flying near horizontally. He gripped the walls of the tunnel as he felt those same winds act on him. They were strong enough to shove him while his guard was down. Trees bent and contorted under their force.

9S poked his head out of the tunnel. He flinched as rain pelted his head mercilessly. He spotted a ladder leading down into a familiar pit. It marked the entrance of a couple of underground paths. He slid down and examined his options. Each one was shrouded by darkness. Even without his pod to light the way, it did not stop him this time. He picked a cave and ran through it.

The flickering glow from a nearby light caught his attention. He turned a corner and spotted a small biped holding a torch. The automaton did not appear to notice him. 9S took the opportunity. His sword manifested in his hand as he crept up behind the machine. A toothy grin took hold on his face. He plunged his sword into the machine's back. The hunk of rusted metal and bolts slumped over without a struggle. 9S then claimed the torch as his own.

Devola and Popola soon managed to catch up to him. He could hear their boots splashing through mud and water. As they entered the cave, he held up his newly acquired torch to further draw their attention.

"Well, that came outta nowhere," Devola complained as she tried to squeeze the moisture from her hair. "That's a real cyclone, isn't it? I never thought I'd see one in person."

"Feels like it," Popola said with a sigh. "I can scarcely remember the last time it rained out here, never mind this."

"Oh, no," Devola exclaimed. "I forgot the fish! I caught so many."

"We can go back later."

9S listened to their back and forth but eventually grew impatient. He silently carried on ahead.

"Wait up," Popola called out. "What exactly are we looking for down here? This leads to the alien ships, doesn't it?"

"One of these routes, yes," 9S confirmed. "I'm not looking for that. I was dragged down here by machines. I should remember all of it, but it still feels spotty."

"Captured by machines," asked Devola. "You mentioned fighting that goliath on the water. I take it this happened after the fact?"

9S nodded.

"Oh, I remember this," Devola announced. "Had to give that scanner to that one YoRHa girl you always hung around with. What was her name again?"

"2B," 9S muttered. "…Her name was 2B."

He continued traversing the caverns until he came upon an elevator. Surprisingly, it still functioned. The trio stepped inside and 9S hit the call button. The elevator began its descent.

The doors opened and light flooded in. Pale buildings and marble-colored streets stretched out in every direction. The place was desolate, but the lack of a machine presence did not put 9S at ease. He kept his sword close by. As he stepped out into the white city, he dragged it alongside himself.

Cruel Oath's tip contacted the ground and produced a horrific screech as metal scraped against metal. It was something he somehow failed to notice, but the noise did not go ignored for very long.

"Ow," Devola complained. "Stop doing that!"

9S gave her a baffled look. "Huh? Stop what?"

"Your sword! Stop dragging it around! It's annoying!"

His veiled eyes wandered to the gold-tinted blade. Rainwater dripped from the edge in place of blood. His sword had already etched a narrow scar into the path.

"You have been doing that since we found you at the Flooded City," added Popola. "You'll dull your blade if you keep abusing it like that."

He held up his sword and inspected it. Surely enough, the tip of the blade was already showing unusual signs of wear.

The scanner opened his palm, relinquishing his grasp on the weapon. It dematerialized into evaporating arcs of light. To be stored out of sight where it would wait for the chance to draw more blood.

He continued his trek down the narrowing path. It led to a cul-de-sac. A narrow courtyard long abandoned by the one who created it. Little white cubes littered the ground and blended in with the colorless backdrop. 9S reached the center of the area and knelt down. He scanned his surroundings carefully.

Devola approached from his left. She pointed upward. "How did blood get all the way up there?"

9S followed her hand. On a wall some distance above the ground, blood did indeed stain the white surface. 9S averted his gaze.

"Not sure," he stated, choking back a resentful sneer. "I was here, though. This is definitely the spot."

"How did you come out of a situation like that," asked Devola.

"I uh…"

9S began to fully recall the events that transpired. Whether or not he wanted to divulge them was another story. After a second or two of contemplation, he found a suitable story to tell. A version that would leave out certain unnecessary details.

"Did you fight your way out," asked Devola.

He avoided eye contact with her. Nervously, he cleared his throat. "Um, yeah. That's exactly what happened."

"Impressive."

Devola walked around to his front. There was a hint of pride in the smile she wore. "So, did this little idea of mine work?"

9S took in his surroundings one last time. "I guess so. I mostly remembered what happened here. The gaps are probably due to me being unconscious for a chunk of it. Still, what transpired here is a little clearer to me now."

"That's good," Popola interjected. She moved closer and knelt down next to him. "An exercise like this might help you revive other memories as well. Ones that actually are lost."

The boy remained silent. He studied her for but a moment. His well-hidden eyes darted to Devola. He let out a defeated sigh and rose to his feet.

"There's nothing else I need from here."

Popola nodded. "Very well. Then we should head back."

She turned and started back toward the elevator. Devola was the first to follow her.

"Here's hoping that freakish storm lets up soon," the curly-haired twin exclaimed.

Just as 9S was about to follow suit, he took notice in something. On the wall to his left was an etched symbol. While the illustration was large enough to catch his attention, he needed a closer look.

Cautiously, he approached the carving. It was a depiction of two machine heads conjoined into one. There was an eye on either head. Each vacant eye stared back at him. It was carved into the white walls with care. Each curve was perfectly symmetrical. Whoever was responsible for the vandalism clearly put some effort into their work. He studied it as though he expected to decipher some sort of meaning from such an abstract icon.

"The hell is this?"

Compelled by a sudden urge, 9S lifted his sword and aimed it at the center of the illustration. Diligently, he carved a third eye in the center of the two heads. Given the effort put into the rest of the "art," he made his contribution as well as he possibly could. He then took a step back to admire his own work.

A revelation donned on him as he gazed at the completed image.

"Wait… What am I doing?"

There was no time left to continue pondering his own odd behavior. A voice rang out nearby. It tethered him back to reality.

"Nines!? You coming!?"

He took one last look at the symbol. Now three eyes adorned its Siamese heads, and those three eyes stared back at him.

Ever watchful.

The android rushed back to the twins without further delay.

Note: I went back and forth on if I wanted to add the rain since weather cycles aren't really seen in the games apart from cloud movements in Gestalt/Replicant. Rain was mentioned in one of the short stories... I think.

Ultimately, I decided in favor of keeping this storm largely for stylistic purposes. It's mainly a holdover from an old one-shot I had written but never released anywhere.