Chapter XVII:
Styx
Emil told no lie.
The heads of both machines and androids alike had been severed and impaled upon massive pikes. Each iron spear jutted from the cracked pavement. Rainwater rushed through the streets. This entire segment of the ruins was flooded. A violent river of saltwater that mixed with the blood dripping from sliced jugulars.
Somehow, by seemingly impossible means, it appeared darker here. As if 2B had just stepped inside another world. One that was far away from the light of day. Even 042's spotlight seemed dimmer than usual.
Lightning was of no use here. The arcs were too far away. The thunder accompanying them was drowned out by horrifying screams coming from around every corner. The firing of automatic weapons. The rending of flesh upon steel swords and axes. All the sounds bled together to create a demented cacophony of torment.
Neither of them dared utter a word to each other. An unnatural dread instilled perfect silence among the duo. 2B moved as silently as she possibly could through that hellish river. She stopped upon hearing a man's voice call to her.
"Hey. You're still able… to move…"
2B turned but all she could see was the vague outline of a nearby head. The gleaming of the metal pike which ran through an android's neck and out the top of his skull. That was all she could gather without a proper light source. 042 tried to illuminate it, but his source of radiance was simply not enough.
A flare flew overhead. Fired off from an uncomfortably close skirmish unraveling in the streets beyond. It shed a traveling red glow over the disembodied head. A male's face stared back at 2B. Despite lacking a body, he was still very much alive. He smiled at her. A grin as wide and twisted as the look in his beady eyes.
The light of the flare faded away. 2B was left alone in the dark with the reanimated head still staring her down. She clenched her sword tightly. The weapon shook in her hands. A rare emotion set in.
Fear.
"Oh," the head continued as though all were normal. "I recognize you. You're that YoRHa girl who showed up at the camp now and again. I wonder if there's anything left of it now."
2B fought to regain her composure but failed. It made no sense. A talking head. She saw the sparkle of blood dripping from his neck. He spoke to her as if everything was fine. Her mind raced with questions. A single theory spawned from her dark, confused mental ramblings.
While her pod brought her back, where exactly did he bring her? The screams. The wretched gloom that absorbed light. The living head she found herself in a starring contest with. It could only be one place.
"Am I in Hell?"
The head laughed at her out-of-the-blue inquiry. "I've asked myself that before! If this place is so horrible then where do we go when we really do die? Is it even worse? The humans of old considered themselves to be at the center of both an abyss of torment, and ascension to paradise. But what if there is no ascension? What if we're already at the top and the only path yet untraveled is down?"
Another flare was launched into the obsidian sky. It revealed more of the enigmatic man. His facial muscles were malfunctioning. They twitched erratically. His eyelids fidgeted. The eternal smirk on his face wavered on occasion.
"What's going on," asked 2B. "Why is all this happening? What caused it?"
"The machines started picking our people off one by one," he informed. He bit his lower lip. "Me and some of the boys retaliated. Then they killed more of our guys for revenge. It all spiraled out of control."
"Where is Anemone?"
The head tilted itself as though to gesture for the road leading deeper into the flooded ruins. That winding path exuded an unwelcoming atmosphere. A presence that did not sit well with 2B or 042.
"If she isn't at what's left of the camp then you can safely assume she's a good six feet under."
"How are you alive?"
"I'm not sure, honestly. It's a mystery to me as much as it is to you. Maybe my brain is still stubbornly functioning. Maybe I've developed a soul. One that hasn't left my mortal remains behind. Perhaps it fears what resides on the other side."
2B's frown deepened. "Do you want to die?"
Yet again, the head laughed at her. He shook himself. His bones scraped against the metal spire. It produced an absolutely stomach-turning screech.
"Die? Why would I want to die?"
"Are you saying you don't mind living like this," asked 2B.
"The reason I persist here is so that I can continue to perceive my surroundings. I enjoy being here. I wanted this. My current state allows me to act as an observer of this world. It gives me the chance to think for a long time. Perhaps one day, I will think myself into a better existence."
2B had nothing more to add. She only wanted to get to the camp as quickly as possible. Likewise, to get away from this bodiless madman before she too went insane.
"Very well," she flatly remarked. "I'll be on my way then."
She stepped away. He followed her with wide, bloodshot eyes. "That shell of yours," he called out.
2B stopped. "What are you on about?"
"The hardened armor that is your demeanor. I can see through it, you know? We all can see the emotions hidden beneath copper wiring. Your shell will not protect you here. In this place, reality bends under the weight of endless tragedy. You have more than just androids and machines to worry about. So hide your mind and heart well. Do not allow yourself to be dragged beneath the river. I shall pray for your sanity."
The flooded paths led 2B straight into the thick of violence. By the time she waded through the end of a dreary alleyway, 042's light had dimmed to nothing. His spotlight was being absorbed by the wrathful atmosphere that permeated these once familiar roads.
Every brick, every half-drowned corpse exuded the same hatred. A collective cloud of rage threatened to swallow her normally unflinching heart.
A shrill scream drew 2B's attention to a wider road up ahead. The muzzle flashes of nearby rifles illuminated the source of that scream. A small biped dragged the upper torso of a still-living android through the water by his loosened entrails.
He shouted in agony, but the vindictive machine did not relent. Not until a bullet pierced the black air and struck the machine in the arm did it let go. The machine was forced to a stop. It scanned the area for its attacker.
More rounds landed around the machine, occasionally hitting it in vital areas. A sadistic means of toying around with the blood and rain-soaked robot. 2B watched as it showed increasing signs of aggression at the fact that it could not find who was shooting at it. 2B was equally unable to see them. She could only guess they were attacking from a looming rooftop.
Every time the machine tried to move in any direction, a series of bullets would land in front of it, preventing the metal creature from moving any further. They taunted the murderous robot. In a blind fit of fury, the machine turned its rage on the only thing in arm's reach. It started pounding, stomping, and tearing at the twitching torso at its feet.
Gurgled screams mixed with the splashing of water and pouring rain. It all ended in a torrent of gunshots. Both the machine and that severely wounded android fell limp. Their bodies floated down the river and disappeared under the cloak of rushing waves.
2B caught a glimpse of several shadowy figures camping out on the roof above as she initially predicted to be the case. They soon moved away from her sight, disappearing from the ledge. She used this as an opportunity to advance. She rounded the corner only to be greeted by a much worse sight.
Fleeting lights from the city-wide conflict only occasionally illuminated her way. Otherwise, she relied on her senses to navigate a world flooded by water and violence alike. It was the sparks of metal clashing with metal, the occasional firing of ranged weaponry, and magical attacks that exposed the horror before her.
Waves of diminishing light revealed an orgy of violence. Machines gouged out the glowing eyes of their fellow automatons. Androids dragged each other beneath the water, holding their opponents down in a desperate attempt to drown them.
From what little of the cursed skirmish 2B could see, it was a free-for-all. A disorganized brawl manifested from a sea of hate swelling in their iron hearts.
A metal hand emerged from the waves and latched onto 2B's left wrist. She glared back and instinctively drew her solid white sword. Virtuous Contract. One of the few things that sparkled in this pit of madness.
The hand belonged to a machine. It clenched tightly to her, struggling to keep from being dragged beneath a relentless undertow. The metal plating around its spherical head was in ruins. Large holes in the armor left its wretched teeth and wiring exposed. Red eyes shined at her.
"Take me home," it screeched.
The robot clenched a fist in preparation to strike her. Although she had the weapon drawn, 2B opted not to bother employing her white blade. She instead kicked the machine upside the head. The force of which caused the automaton to relinquish its grasp. It was promptly sent further down the river and well out of her sight.
"Pod 042 to Unit 2B."
She almost forgot 042 was there with her. She jumped at first, half expecting the voice to be from another one of these deranged maniacs.
"What is it," she asked with uncharacteristic softness.
042 nearly failed to hear her. Under no circumstances did she wish to draw any unwanted attention lest they both be dragged into this never-ending turmoil.
"We should turn back. There is no conceivable reason for Unit 9S to be here. Recommendation: search the coast and other surrounding regions if you wish to find him."
"I'm not going to wander around aimlessly without a clue," 2B irritably muttered.
Her pod fell silent, leaving 2B alone with her thoughts and the screams of so many faceless strangers. She searched the area for a way forward. A means of reaching Anemone without getting involved in the wall of maiming and torture that blocked the road.
Bitterly cold water rushed past her. It chilled her legs. There should have been no reason for it to be this cold. This tropical storm left the air around her humid and despite the heavy clouds blocking the sun, it was still just as sweltering as it always was. Somehow, though, the ever-rising water was like ice.
A series of stray tracer rounds flew past her. Their green hue revealed a lone android standing idly inside one of the buildings. He stood near a window frame, half hiding behind the concrete wall. He held something in his arms, but 2B had no means of making out any proper details.
Out of curiosity, she approached him. She kept her head down to avoid any oncoming projectiles. Not much was sent her way, but she was in no mood for surprises at that point.
She approached the hole in the wall. Unable to see anything, she waited for another source of light to come flying by. Eventually, a crimson orb of magical energy was fired off by one of the wrathful machines nearby. A slow-moving projectile hovered down the flooded street, filling her surroundings with a hellish red glow.
His face was illuminated once more. The android's eyelids had been sliced off. This left him forever forced to observe his bleak surroundings. To take in every last bloody detail whether he wanted to or not. His eyes were empty. He breathed and stood upright but his pupils were glazed over and devoid of life.
In his arms was a plastic doll made to the likeness of a human infant. A plastic baby which 2B could only imagine was once owned by a human child. The ancient toy showed considerable signs of wear and tear. Areas of its body had been chipped and burnt.
Prolonged exposure to the boiling sun caused its face to melt. Infantile features were warped beyond recognition. What was once probably a cheerful smile had been melted into a horrifying frown. Its eyes had long since melted away, leaving two drooping black sockets in their stead.
As the magical projectile floated off into oblivion, 2B was once again plunged into darkness. Small details about the silent android were still visible. The way he stroked the doll's head as though it were a real child in need of comfort.
"Excuse me," 2B inquired.
No response.
She repeated herself. The stranger merely stared off into nothingness, paying her absolutely no mind.
Fed up, 2B reached out and grabbed his shoulder. She violently shook him from his trance. "Hey! I'm talking to you."
A light moved over them just as his head began to turn her way. He may have faced her direction, but he did not look at her. Instead, he stared straight through her as if she were not there at all.
"Sh-sh-shhhh," the man warned in a whisper. He gently stroked his doll. "Not so loud. You'll scare the children."
It was a disturbing sight to see, but 2B was not so easily deterred. "Do you know if Anemone is still alive?"
He licked his lips. The light dimmed until there was nothing left. He became invisible behind an inky, intangible wall. 2B instinctively drew back. She did not want to stand so close to the insane man without at least being able to see him.
"This is the way the world ends," he muttered to himself.
Subtle movements could be seen in the dark. He started fiddling with the doll as he spoke but 2B could not see exactly what was being done.
"This is the way the world ends," he repeated.
"This is the way the world ends."
Another light source flew high into the sky. A radiant flare. It gave her just enough of a glow to get one last good look at the insane android.
Repeatedly, he poked at the doll's empty eye sockets with a piece of straw.
There was no further excuse to stick around. The man was just as out of it as everyone else. Anemone was not here and 2B already knew full well where she could find the android in question. She turned away and headed off for the camp.
Icy waves splashed against 2B. The river fought her every step of the way. An ethereal cold left her shivering. Her bones rattled under the frosty waters. She could recognize the territory. The usual route she and 9S often took to reach the desert. That sandy path was behind her. She could only imagine what this rain had done to all that shifting sand.
Fortunately, it was not her problem. The trade-off was that the city ruins were in a far worse state.
A scream brought her eyes back to the watery path ahead. She caught sight of dueling silhouettes. Two machines punched each other over and over again. They shouted in some other language. One 2B had no hope of recognizing. It sounded like gibberish. Their words, as unintelligible as they were, seeped with contempt.
One of the machines soon overpowered the other. It leaped upon its victim and shoved the creature's head below the freezing waves. Metallic howls infested the air as rustic surfaces scraped against each other. One loud crack marked a victory for one of the machines. It rose from the water. Chunks of shredded circuitry dangled from its toothy maw.
The thing did not bother celebrating its victory. It was too incensed to bother. It needed another opponent to unleash its unending ocean of rage upon. The machine could not see 2B in such darkness and there was no one else around. Frustrated beyond all belief, the machine turned to an outcropping wall of fractured concrete and started pounding its fists into the stone surface.
"Pod."
2B needed not say more. Pod 042 fired a concentrated beam at the machine, utterly annihilating the thing.
The duo then somewhat relaxed their stances. The area was not perceivably secure for very long at all. A shrill laugh echoed over the cries of the damned and rushing water. It came from the second story of a structure directly in front of 2B.
Fading ambient lights exposed two androids sat inside a gaping hole in the wasted complex. The ragged hood and soaked clothes were easily recognizable despite their bland nature. Jackass. Her feet swayed back and forth over the broken ledge. She cackled like a sadistic hag.
A man stood behind her in silence. The only other person 2B recalled seeing at the Desert Outpost. His attire was much akin to Jackass'. Dressed in an assortment of tattered clothes meant to fend off the eroding sands. His goggles glowed a distinct crimson. A feature that caused 2B to glance back at him a second time to ensure her eyes did not deceive her. She fully remembered those goggles being blue at one point or another.
2B remembered Emil's warning well. She angled herself slightly to hide the fact that she was tightening the grip on her weapon. An unnecessary action as the lack of light made noticing this minor detail impossible. Nonetheless, 2B decided to air on the side of caution.
Jackass and her unnamed friend leaped from the ledge and landed in the chilly water. They showed no reaction to the sudden drop in temperature. With a smug smile adorning her bloodstained face, Jackass waded through the dark river.
As lights faded in and out and the two androids drew closer, 2B noticed more of their features. Flayed android skin was strapped to the man's left arm. A twisted decoration that ran along his limb as though it were a sleeve. He was not the only one adorned in the flesh of his own kind. A pair of severed ears dangled from a chain wrapped around Jackass's neck.
"Hey there, zombie," Jackass greeted. Her inclination was as relaxed as always. A disposition that betrayed both the horror that infected the once familiar city ruins and the wild look in her eyes.
Intervals of light produced from the deranged war zone surrounding them offered 2B the occasional glimpse of their faces. In and out, the ambient glows of the waging conflict strobed slowly as though they were breathing. To appear and briefly reveal 2B's surroundings only to then disappear and leave her stranded in that familiar void.
"Guess you aren't dead anymore. That's cool."
The glow of a flare pulsated across their faces. 2B stared in silence. The light was quick to diminish. She watched Jackass' twisted grin sink back into the abyss.
"Can you tell me what's happening here?"
"A stupid question," Jackass said with a warped giggle. "Killing! That's what's going on."
2B initially wanted to avoid conflict. Likely a futile means of traversing an area absorbed in such endless turmoil. Emil's warnings echoed in her mind. She had to know the truth. She knew asking was pointless or even dangerous, but she did it anyway.
"Are you responsible for this?"
"Hmm? Responsible for what?"
"I know this conflict was sparked from a couple of assassinations," 2B informed. "A war based on retaliation killings. It's easy for just one person to spark something like that. On top of that, Emil claims to have witnessed you killing other resistance fighters. Judging by your new taste in… jewelry, it's not hard to imagine you might know something about this."
Jackass let out another shrill laugh. "Me!? Start a war like this? Fuck no, I didn't! Sorry, but this world ain't so simple. And even if someone did kill a few people to rile up the city, it doesn't matter. This was bound to happen at one point or another. What you're seeing now is the boiling over of problems that have been running their course for far longer than any of us have been alive."
"And the murders?"
"Oh, yeah! Emil probably did see me kill a few bootlicks," Jackass admitted so nonchalantly.
"Why do it? They're on your side are they not?"
The man accompanying Jackass finally spoke up. His voice was stern and deep. His scarlet goggles shimmered in the dark. "We ventured inside the Tower and uncovered many truths. Details kept hidden from us by YoRHa. Lies that were told to us all in a bid to keep us fighting."
2B did not bother prying further. She had a good idea about what they were talking about. Her primary directive to protect at least one crucial secret from leaking out was all she needed. Her silence, however, did not deter the man from continuing.
Ambient light rolled in, shining upon his hardened visage. A symbol had been carved into the flesh of his forehead. A small third eye that was highlighted in the stains of his own blood. The light soon faded out. Abyssal darkness crept back over his expressionless frown.
"Our eyes have been open to divine truth. Now we seek to kill all those who fooled us into walking this meaningless path. To send them to death's three kingdoms. We slay them in the names of angels and God."
"That we do," Jackass cheered. "Now, let's…"
She was cut off. An arm erupted from the chilled river. A crimson hue trickled down from the black heavens. The glow exposed a hand lined with monstrous claws and hardened inhuman skin.
2B jumped back but Jackass and her friend were not at all phased. Not even surprised. Jackass in particular seemed more angered by the interruption than she was perturbed. Annoyed to the point of infuriation, Jackass pulled the rifle previously strapped to her back. She held it as though it were a club and brought it down on the reaching arm.
"You still alive down there," Jackass inquired with a vile, hateful tone. "I'll give you more! I'll give you more!"
Jackass howled like a banshee. She repeatedly slammed the butt of her rifle into the water. The hand fell back down after the first hit or two. After the sixth, blood started to cloud around her and expand outward, infesting the waters. 2B watched as a gradual wave of crimson fluid surrounded her.
All of it was inconsequential as Jackass did not stop beating what was more than likely an already dead body.
"Stay the fuck down, you pig!"
2B slowly backed away. Nothing about this display seemed characteristic of Jackass. With the mere flip of a mental switch, she started behaving like a rabid animal.
"Scream for me! I said SCREAM!"
The river ran in all directions. Rapids raced through the streets. As cold as they were cruel.
Grabbing and biting, 2B felt it all as she tore her way through a swath of wrathful souls. Machines and androids ripping into each other in an everlasting free-for-all. No one bothered taking sides here.
2B left Jackass behind. Sticking around someone that unhinged did not seem like the best of ideas.
Her descent into the depths of the ruins was marked by an increase in water level. The river eventually rose to her chest. She shook uncontrollably. It was so cold. For all she knew, the temperature of the waves was actively dropping.
Haunting faces took shape in the rippling swells. Warped, horrifying expressions. An endless number of them surrounded 2B. She could ignore them no longer. She gazed into the waves like a witch scrying into a crystal ball.
Each face bared a strong resemblance to the very YoRHa boy she waded through this hellish river to find. Every expression, every tearful frown, every pained gaze reminded her of the countless times she carried out his execution.
They were visible for just long enough to taunt 2B. Each one disappeared into the depths, leaving 2B to recall the guilt of each murder. Bursts of regret overtook her. Under all this madness her composure became more difficult to retain.
"All those murders," she muttered. Her muffled words were further drowned out by the screams of warring automatons.
Cries of damned souls rose from the waves and were swiftly chewed up by pouring rain. The scent of iron and blood matched the stinging hymn of agony. The very air she breathed felt toxic. It burnt her esophagus.
"Where am I, pod?"
It took a worrying amount of time for 042 to answer her simple question.
Glittering sparkles of gold rode the edges of the water's rippling surface. A consistent light source? That had to be a first. Her vacant eyes followed the glitter. She found the source of the light at the end of the road on her right. Nestled between two eroded walls.
Her jaw dropped. It practically threatened to fall off her face and be lost forever beneath the obsidian river.
An enormous bonfire blazed atop a mountain of twisted metal and broken bodies. It defied all logic. No amount of torrential rains or suffocating winds could put out that hellish inferno. Streams of blood flowed from the hill of flesh and mixed with numbing rainwater.
Hellfire erupted from the crown of the hill resembling an active volcano. Tortured screams wormed their way into her brain. Nagging whimpers painfully scratched at the inside of her skull.
Nauseating pleas for mercy infested her thoughts. They were all preceded by the same ghostly statement.
"…2B! There's something you should know," a certain, boyish voice whispered into her ears. Words spawned from thin air.
"About humanity…"
He always said the exact same thing.
And she always stabbed him in the same exact place.
Figures danced in a circle at the top of the hill. They cheered and waltzed all while orbiting the blaze. She could see their unnatural silhouettes against the infernal glow. Humanoid figures holding hands and performing a warped dance of death.
They had hooves for feet and horns adorning their heads. Some had black leather wings stretching out from their shoulders. Others had heads resembling that of a goat or ram. Curled horns twisted about and came to sharp points. A few of them had thin tails with an arrowhead-shaped tip.
The group of monstrous strangers hoisted pitchforks high into the air. They cheered as their victims burnt alive beneath a tower of hateful flames. The air stunk with the aroma of smelting plastic. The whole sight was more than enough to break 2B. She was not equipped to handle this unexplainable scene.
Demons. They could only be described as demons. Men with limbs and heads akin to beasts. They were exactly as ancient humans depicted them.
Upon fleshy heights, they celebrated and huffed the ashen air. Molten circuity infused with rivers of blood. The faces of tortured apparitions took shape within the fire. She could hear them screaming.
Screaming from beyond.
It took considerable effort to fight back a swelling urge to cry out. A fear like no other took hold within her. The alien emotion of fear assaulted her without mercy, and she had no one to guide her through it. At least, that was what she thought.
"Pod 042 to Unit 2B. Please respond."
2B snapped out of her nightmarish panic attack. Her eyes darted to the right. 042 floated high above the water. The flickering of firelight painted him in an amber hue.
She immediately switched her attention back to that cursed bonfire. Once again, 2B was utterly shocked by what she saw. She only took her eyes off of it for a microsecond yet major details had changed. Upon a second glance, she realized that no horns or animal heads adorned the crowd of people dancing around the fire.
No pitchforks. No arrow-tipped tails. Nothing of the sort. It all appeared to be a horrifying illusion. She could still very clearly see the black outlines of demons dancing before a fire that burned defiantly against the backdrop of the storm. However, none of them were truly demonic in appearance.
Only a cluster of sadistic machines and androids stood atop that mound of bodies. They stood united in their deranged bloodlust. A thirst for violence strong enough to turn them against their own kind.
"I don't understand."
"What do you see," asked 042.
She rubbed her eyes and took another look. The sight was still just as hellish but she at least saw no monstrous shadows dancing around the fire. A mere trick of the mind.
"I… Let's just go."
She turned away but 042 was not so quick to end the conversation. She did ask a question after all.
"Unit 2B."
'Yes…"
They were interrupted once again. A new disturbance drew their collective attention.
An android waded out into the open from behind an alleyway on the other side of the road. She was being chased. A handful of her fellow resistance fighters swam through the water to reach her.
"I can't take it," she shouted. "There must be some kinda way outta here!"
Not one of her pursuers listened to her pleas. She was soon grabbed and dragged under the brutish waves. It was not long before 2B caught a glimpse of the woman's head being tossed into the air.
The other androids soon turned on each other. It was impossible to see what sparked it if anything at all. One minute they were tearing this one ostracized android apart, and the next they were ripping at each other.
One by one they fell. Their maimed bodies were carried down the river and toward that pile of gore. 2B watched them drift past her.
Pod 042 was the first to break the uncomfortable silence.
"We are still in the mortal world," he flatly reassured.
"I hope you're right, pod."
There was no time to debate the subject. All that mattered was finding 9S lest these lunatics find him first.
Anemone's camp resided at the top of a steep hill. One that loomed over most of the flooding. 2B was beyond relieved to see that the water had not quite reached that high. It was up to her neck by the time she reached what used to be the pond marking the front of her encampment.
That pond had been consumed by a massive body of rainwater. The waterfall she and 9S often used to fish next to grew incredibly violent. It was once a peaceful addition to the scenery. 2B remembered this fact all too well. Now, it had become just another hazard. Yet another means of drowning beneath cold, unforgiving waves.
One thing 2B could not help but notice even as she waded through water, blood, flesh, and bones was the numerous funnel clouds coiling high above the ruins. A sight that puzzled 2B until Pod 042 informed her of the nature of tornadoes. The concept of which sounded downright mythical to her.
It was a miracle that no proper tornadoes had spawned yet but such an event appeared inevitable. She shuttered at the carnage that was sure to come when that dark day finally arrives.
She made it through the entrance without much of a hassle. The guards posted in front of the camp recognized her. They seemed sane. A far cry from the madness she had witnessed thus far. However, one detail did stick out.
2B could not find a single soul in that encampment that was not injured in some way. It was not at all uncommon for her to spot armed guards with missing limbs or some other grievous injury that had been crudely seared shut or bandaged.
Painful screams echoed from one of the nearby structures. Upon requesting an audience with Anemone, 2B was directed to that very building. Inside, she found a chamber filled with wounded. Most of them lied on the unforgiving concrete as there were nowhere near enough beds to accommodate them all.
The place was incredibly dark. That came as no surprise. A few spotlights shined in various corners of the room. One dim light was posted near a desk towards the back of the makeshift infirmary. An all too familiar woman sat behind said desk. Stacks of paper and various rusted parts walled her off from the rest of the room.
"Anemone," 2B called out. Her voice carried over the agony-stricken moans of the wounded and delirious.
The leader of the Resistance looked up from her desk. Relief washed over her otherwise dismayed face.
"2B! Is that you?"
2B navigated across the bloody maintenance area and stepped under Anemone's light. It was faint and occasionally flickered but it beat the impenetrable darkness she traversed to get here. Anything was better than that horrid river.
"A lot's happened hasn't it?"
Anemone shrugged her shoulders. "You missed quite a bit. I'm guessing you're here for 9S?"
"You read my mind."
"I just stated the obvious," she disclaimed. "At any rate, he's not here. And before you ask, no, I don't know where he is and I don't wanna know."
Intrigued, 2B leaned in close. She planted her hands firmly on the desk. Her eyes narrowed beneath her visor. "Then tell me what you do know. Any clues? Did he say anything to you?"
"2B, I don't think you want to find him," sighed Anemone. "He's not the same person you knew. He's gone just as crazy as everyone else in this blasted city."
"I'll be the judge of that."
She could not help but shake her head. There was no convincing the determined YoRHa android otherwise. A fact that should have been obvious to her from the start.
"Fair enough. Look, I didn't talk to him much. I welcomed him back to the camp despite his… behavior, but I kept my distance. He was obsessed with those twins. Maybe you remember them? Devola and Popola?"
"Vaguely," 2B said with an uncertain nod. "I know a bit about him trying to repair them."
"Well, he succeeded. All of a sudden, he got really protective of them. Chopped one of my mechanic's arms off over an argument and I had to throw all three of them out. Granted, he got physical first so he was kinda asking for it, but at the same time, I can't let something like that slide. A real shame. They were my best healers but I never trusted them."
"Do you think those twins were manipulating him?"
Anemone laughed aloud. 2B furrowed a brow at her. It was as if she and unknowingly spouted an odd joke.
"I don't think it's that complicated," Anemone dismissively replied. "I did at first, but I don't believe that anymore. 9S was the only person I'm aware of who didn't hate their guts. Likewise, those two were the only ones in the whole camp who bothered saying more than two words to him. Simple as that."
2B's gaze lowered to the grainy texture of the desk. She searched for answers, hoping she could find them in thin air. None of it sounded right.
"9S wouldn't do something like that."
"Maybe not in the past, but circumstances change. You've been out of commission for a very long time. Don't believe me? Look around you."
Traces of frustration seeped into Anemone's words. She stood up and extended a hand toward the countless injured that littered the beds and floor.
"Then," Anemone continued, slightly raising her voice. "9S leaves with his favorite twins and suddenly, people start getting picked off."
2B glared at Anemone, offended by the preposterous implication of her statement. "You think 9S is responsible for this!? Tell me, have you heard from Jackass in…"
"Jackass," Anemone spat. "She only started showing up after my trigger-happy subordinates ran out and started pulling off those revenge killings. I'm aware that Jackass has gone completely ape-shit but I have no reason to believe she did anything apart from pick at our bones like the dirty buzzard she is."
"Then it must've been machines who…"
"Who assassinated a number of my people in the same day!? Leaving the bodies in exposed areas? In some cases, dragging bodies to specific areas so that we were bound to find them? Intentionally leaving their weapons at the scene then assassinating themselves with our weapons!?"
Anemone began pacing back and forth behind her desk. 2B bit her tongue and listened.
"I did a lot of investigating while these goons I call subordinates started disobeying orders and killing whoever they wanted. On top of all that, the machines around here had no reason to do any of it. Hell, we were trading freely with half of the groups around here! Somebody caused this! It just doesn't make sense otherwise."
2B conceded the point. She was not even alive at the time to experience it for herself so she saw no point in arguing. "Okay, fine. That still doesn't mean 9S had anything to do with it. I've been partnered with him for years, I know he wouldn't do anything like that."
"He's the only person with a motive to wipe us out," Anemone fired back. "If only you could've been there to see the look in his eyes that day. The way he looked at us before he left. He has a vendetta!"
2B turned back to face the pile of wounded. Apart from Anemone and maybe one or two other people posted in the camp, all of them showed some form of damage. The camp had definitely seen better days. It was a pathetic sight.
She could not bring herself to believe what Anemone was saying. There must be a better explanation behind it all. Just as she was on the verge of formulating a fresh counterargument, a new voice entered the verbal fray.
"Pod 042 to Unit 2B. This support unit does not find Anemone's claims too difficult to believe. It may be hard for you to fathom, but the mentality of Unit 9S degraded drastically after you died and underwent further changes after Pod 153 revived him. This support unit can also agree that he was becoming extremely violent. He has gotten into a physical altercation with both this support unit as well as Pod 153."
2B gritted her teeth. "You didn't tell me he got into a fight with you."
"Apologies."
That was enough to convince her to at least give up the argument. She struggled to believe he orchestrated the watery hellscape she just barely managed to traverse alive, but she made no further attempts to debate on his behalf.
"Whatever the case may be, I still need to find him," she proclaimed flatly. "Maybe there are still clues to find around here. Please, allow me to stay and investigate. In turn, I'll help you with whatever you need."
Anemone gave a thankful smile. "Be my guest."
She then turned and pointed to the wounded. "This is all we have left. Most of our people are either dead, insane, or lying here. A lot of groups splintered off from us. Many of them turned their guns on us. The only reason we still hold this line is to defend our wounded. If we can get the parts, we can repair them and hopefully stand a chance."
"I can hunt for parts," 2B informed. "I'll help out so long as you and the other people here cooperate. I'm not asking for anyone to help me physically track him down. Just that they relay honest information to me."
"I'll tell everyone not to screw around," Anemone confirmed. "Let me know if they give you a hard time. I'll deal with them."
2B nodded.
"And I'm sure you'll find what you're looking for," Anemone reassuringly concluded. "I just hope you're prepared for what you find…"
What do you mean by that?"
"…I don't think he waited for you."
~O~
9S endlessly danced with the twins. Devola eventually switched places with Popola. She ventured to the floor with 9S whereas Popola took over the lute. This swapping of tasks happened sporadically.
9S, unlike his dearest companions, did not bother taking a break. He grew more confident in the movements. He started to catch on more and more as their time together continued. Amos and 153 left the room by that point. Both of whom grew tired of watching them spin each other around the room for hours on end.
With Pod 153 gone, so too was their light source but they did not take much notice of this. Even as the two clung together, 9S could not make out most of Devola's features. An obsidian gloom absorbed them and veiled their movements. He relied on his sense of touch and memory of the room's layout to keep up with her.
While 9S kept to Devola's pace, he occasionally glanced at Popola. She played the instrument beautifully but she never sang. Anytime Devola took up the lute, she would immediately begin singing and playing simultaneously.
Not Popola. He recalled discussing this topic with them the first time they danced together. A certain condition or two needed to be met for Popola to so much as consider singing for him. He wracked his brain for answers but failed to remember the specifics.
Over the sound of the instrumentals, 9S spoke up.
"What does it take to get you to sing, Popola?"
Popola's eyes went wide. She instantly ceased playing and looked up. Devola slowed her pace but only stopped after she felt 9S come to a halt. She laughed at the question.
"I'd rather not. I tend to be a little shy about my voice."
"Like I said before," Devola interrupted. "Ya gotta get her wasted!"
"Sis! Don't…"
"What," Devola playfully inquired. "It's true! Popola'll only sing for you if she's got enough booze in her."
Eager to move on from the subject, Popola resumed her song. Devola gently swept 9S back into the movements. As dismissive as they both were, it did not discourage the YoRHa boy. It gave him an idea.
"So all I have to do is get some alcohol then, right?"
Devola cocked her head. A second later, she was smiling deviously. "That's right!"
"Don't encourage this, sister!"
"And trust me," Devola continued, completely ignoring her distressed sibling. "It's totally worth it. She's got a great voice."
9S gleamed with growing aspiration. An uncharacteristic hopefulness that was immediately hidden away under a blanket of all-consuming shadow. This idea of his was becoming more tempting. Much to her disappointment, he abruptly released Devola and pulled himself free of her grasp.
"I want to hear a duet," he announced. "If I get you a bottle or two can I hear you sing together?"
Popola groaned in defeat. Devola, on the other hand, was practically salivating over the prospect of a much-needed drink. It had been such a long time since she was granted so much as a sip.
"Of course," Devola eagerly reassured.
Popola, on the other hand, made one last-ditch effort to dissuade her silver-haired lover. "I'm a bit picky about that. The drink I like is rarely ever made by anyone. I had to learn to make it myself a long time ago. The ingredients are… complicated."
Devola mockingly gagged. "Ew! You still like that nasty thing!?"
"How do you know you don't like it if you refuse to try it?"
"You put lizard tails in it!"
Popola shrugged her shoulders. She was not at all phased by her sister's argument. "They add zest to it."
The mention of lizard tails did give 9S cause for concern. It was still not enough to deter him. He could only wish that she would not force him to try such a thing.
"I can get the ingredients," 9S proclaimed. "Whatever they are. Just write them down."
At that, Popola conceded defeat with a dramatic sigh. As she mulled it over, the desire to once again sample that gory favorite of hers again overpowered her reluctance. Finally, she agreed.
"Very well. I'll go make a list. If you can get everything on it, then I'll sing."
"Consider it done," exclaimed 9S.
Popola was left slightly taken aback by his odd burst of glee. It was unlike him.
"Take Amos with you," Devola interjected. "He seems kinda down."
9S complied with a nod of his head. "It shouldn't take too long. What could possibly go wrong?"
Note: Sorry for the delay. I try to keep a weekly thing going but this chapter was even more difficult to write than the last one.
This has been a reoccurring theme as of late. I'd consider this to be the second to last act of the story. It's also the segment with the least amount of preplanning.