Chapter XXVI:

Heart Breaker

9S stirred from his slumber. A sweltering sun burned his cheeks, rousing him from a peaceful rest. He was immediately met with a flood of sun rays seeping through his cracked eyelids.

Blurred visions came into focus over time. Looming over him were two identical faces. Their long locks of red hair surrounded him. Their welcoming smiles filled him with familiar warmth.

"Mornin', 9S. Slept well, didn't ya?"

He smiled back at Devola, but that weak grin faded. A revelation was made. This exact thing had happened before. It was a memory. One of the memories he thought he lost.

"I… I remember," he spoke aloud.

The twins did not respond. They merely smiled at him with glowing admiration.

"I remember this. This is just a memory. Wha… Where am I? What's going on?"

At the back of his skull, he felt a nagging sensation. A voice crept into his ears. An automated, female tone.

"Pod 153 to Unit 9S. Please respond."

"Pod," 9S grumbled.

"I repeat. Please respond."

"Pod! I'm here! Where are you!?"

"…Beginning reboot sequence."

9S was roused from his dream. His eyes slid open. His vision blurred. A blue haze enveloped him. 153 was the first "face" he saw. Her metallic, boxed form hovered well above him. Her three-clawed hands idly rotated in place. The slow pulsing of the light adorning the top of her body gave him something to focus on.

Beneath him was a soft mattress. He was lying on a mattress. An old, worn-down bed, but a bed nonetheless. Mildew-infested blankets covered his body. His person was mostly dry but a few spots of his clothes were still damp with rainwater.

He let out a soft groan. "Hey, pod. What happened? Where are we?"

Rusted panels of sheet metal sheltered him from his surroundings. It looked like no area of the building he had come to call home. The fact that he could not hear waves crashing against the asphalt shore reinforced the fact that he was nowhere near the flooded city.

Devola popped into his view. She leaned overhead and wrapped him in a tight hug before he could utter so much as a simple "hello."

"Nines! You're awake!"

The breath was very nearly squeezed out of 9S's lungs. "Uh. Hi."

She pulled away. Her fingertips rested upon his left cheek, lightly pulling his eyelid further down. Her smile widened.

"Your eyes! Finally…"

9S looked on with a more playful smirk, albeit a weakened one. "I take it they're a different color?"

"Let me see," came a gentle voice on his left.

He turned his head. Popola lay next to him. She hoisted herself upright and leaned over for a better view.

"My, my. They're so striking."

Both of the twins stared at him with overwhelming fixation. The scanner sat up, flustered by the unexpected attention he was receiving.

"Blue is definitely more your color," remarked Devola. "Welcome back, Nines."

He took their word for it. The android could always shamble over to a body of water and check his reflection himself, but his body refused to move more than it already had. For the time being, he was rooted to that bed.

He stared down at an open palm. His left palm. He turned his hand over. The complex symbol of conjoined twin heads once carved into his flesh was erased. Not a single scar remained.

"What happened? Where's the Cherub?"

"Gone for now," reassured Devola. "Popola sent him running. Pod says she saw him fly westward, right?"

"Correct."

"We shouldn't be too confident," Popola interjected. Her tone was as reserved as always. "We almost died. All of us. It is true that I nearly had him, but he was far too powerful. When next we face him, we will need a proper plan."

"Just let us celebrate our victory," her curly-haired sibling demanded. "And it was a victory! We fought giant angel baby and won. Sent it flying away. Runnin' for the hills! That's gotta count for something."

Popola relented and nodded along. "I suppose some relaxation is in order. At least until we can plan our next move. I wouldn't mind taking some more time for my wound to heal either."

9S craned his neck. Peeping past Devola and into the familiar cavern beyond. It was immediately recognizable. The ground was covered in a field of Lunar Tears. He sat upon the bed sheltered beneath a rusted shack. On the other side of the flowery knolls was the elevator.

The way he scanned his surroundings did not go unnoticed by the twins. They were accustomed to seeing him jerk about, checking every corner out of fear and paranoia. This time, however, he was more relaxed. As though he were looking around not because he anticipated an ambush that was never there, but out of simple curiosity.

"What are we doing here? And where's Amos?"

"He left about an hour ago," said Devola. "Guess he went back to his little bunker thingy."

Popola solemnly bowed her head. "I tried to stop him. At a time like this, we really ought to stick together but he didn't listen. It was strange. One minute he was relaxing and picking flowers, the next he suddenly got up and left. As for why we're here. Our home was destroyed when all those light beams fired off. That entire block was reduced to rubble. We had no choice but to relocate."

He felt Devola's hand rest on his shoulder. "I think it's for the best. This place has better lighting and there's no ghosts around to torture us. It's great!"

9S had no response. He looked to Popola, then to her sister. "…You saved me."

Devola furrowed a brow. "Huh?"

The boy averted his eyes. "I said you saved me. Were you not here to perform that ritual, that thing would still be in me. You did all that. And after I made your lives so much more difficult."

Devola wrapped her arms around him from behind. She met his depressing admission with sarcastic laughter. "Yeah, you're a pain in the ass sometimes! But you're stuck with us from now on. Best not worry about it."

9S tilted his head, attempting to face her. He watched her from the corner of his peripherals.

"I wanna repay you somehow."

Devola cocked her head at that. "Come again?"

He broke away from Devola's hold to better face her. "Like I said, you saved me. So... Uh…"

Ideas came and went. Concepts ranging from mere affirmations of gratitude to offering to find whatever items they may desire. Eventually, he found himself thinking up ways to fully illustrate his love for them.

One idea found its way to him. Unsure how they would react, all he could do was experiment.

Desire compelled him forward. He lifted his head to meet Devola's increasingly more confused gawk. A look of confidence possessed his features. He gave her a peculiar smirk. Before she could ask, 9S leaned forward. His lips pressed against hers. They pulled away after the passing of a minute or two.

"…"

Devola initially struggled to find worthy words. Once she found them, she tilted her head in Popola's direction. "Don't let me stop ya," she replied. "But if you really wanna thank someone then show her a little love too. She's the brains behind that whole ritual. She nearly killed that monster right then and there."

9S turned to the straight-haired twin in question. "Don't think I forgot."

Looking especially flustered, Popola shrugged her shoulders. "It was nothing particularly special on my part. Amos made the circle. All I did was…"

She trailed off. It was clear that her attempts to downplay her role were not swaying any opinion. He drew closer. Not exactly opposed to escalating this situation she found herself in, Popola did the same.

They met halfway with an ever-deepening kiss. She gradually lowered herself on the semi-decayed mattress. Snaking a hand through silver hair, she guided him down along with her.

Her breath hitched sharply, nearly out of frustration when 9S abruptly broke away. Popola opened her eyes, curious as to what was causing the interruption. He found her looming above.

"I love you," came a whisper carried upon a heated exhale.

Popola's flustered visage softened at his words.

His attention shifted back to Devola who inched closer from behind. Wrapping her arms around him, she pulled loose one of the buttons at the top of his tunic. Quiet, impish laughter filled the hut. "Won't be needing it here pretty soon. Why not just get it out of the way?"

No verbal response was given. Devola stole a second kiss from him.

Outside the hut, Pod 153 knew her presence had been forgotten.

"This damn bed needs to be bigger," Devola grumbled, shifting about in the darkness beyond in search of a decent spot to lay.

Privacy was needed here. This development showed no signs of slowing down at this rate. She turned away without any desire to bother them. She floated to the elevator and prepared to take her leave.

The thought of rain was an unwelcome one but there was little choice.

~O~

Rain softly rolled down 2B's cheeks like a dozen teardrops. Harvested by cyclonic forces from a wrathful ocean, they were no less salty.

No place was left untouched by it. The vast space at the center of the Resistance Camp was lightly flooded. Puddles, once large yet separate conjoined into one shallow sea. It lapped at her ankles. The mud below threatened to ensnare her heels should she remain in one place for too long.

The outside area was sparsely populated with guards who hid beneath whatever shelter they could find. Heads were hung low. Faces shielded from the exhaustive downpour. Muffled crying and consoling could be faintly heard beneath the torrential rain yet 2B could never quite figure out where any of it was coming from.

Lightning ruled the skies. Vibrant coils arched across the horizon and wormed their way in and around onyx clouds. They blanketed the entire cityscape in a deep, electric blue hue. What was untouched by the lights from above remained shrouded in total darkness.

A voice broke the pattern of roaring thunder.

"2B? Anemone can see you now."

She averted her attention away from the obsidian heavens. A lone resistance fighter beckoned her inside the maintenance area before disappearing around a corner. Hidden beneath the faulty shelter of a building that could collapse at any moment, killing everyone inside.

Such a cataclysm had yet to occur. 2B could not help but feel she was taking this roll of luck for granted somehow.

She strolled through the same narrow paths. Corridors set apart from the vast chambers crowded with wounded androids. Moans of agony. Gasps for air. Miserable weeping. It was a constant serenade of impending death that perpetually oozed from the walls of this cursed structure.

2B wondered. If all the wounded were to be removed from this building, would they still be heard? Would their misery linger long after they were gone? Strange thoughts plagued her in strange times.

2B found her way to Anemone's office and closed the door on her way in. The Resistance leader sat at her desk. Stacks of papers and spare munitions lay scattered around the table.

"Hey, 2B. Thanks for coming."

"I assume you want me to investigate that huge light we saw earlier."

"No," dismissed Anemone. "I already sent a party to the coast. If they start having trouble, I may reconsider, but for now, I want you on a different job. After you complete this, I'll make sure you get some free time to look for 9S. Sound good?"

2B nodded, showing not a sliver of enthusiasm. Relieved, Anemone grabbed one of the reports on her desk and handed it off to the emotionless girl.

"One of our own went missing recently. A talented healer. The sorta person we need in times like these. I want you to find her. If you can."

2B shrugged carelessly. "Fine. I'll do it."

Another voice was injected into the conversation.

"Pod 042 to Anemone. When did the disappearance occur?"

"She went missing a couple days ago. And no, I have no reason to suspect her of desertion. She was pretty outgoing. Always tried to be involved in things. There was a guard that used to patrol out by the front. She had a thing for him. He was assassinated on that day the fighting kicked off. That girl was never quite the same since. Went crazy. Last anyone saw of her, she left through the front. Didn't say where she was going."

An interesting story, but it gave 2B virtually nothing to work with. Impatiently, she tapped her boot, producing a rhythmic clicking. "I need something more substantial if you expect me to find this woman."

"It's all I got. Sorry. If you can't find her then I get it. All I ask is that you dig around for me. She had a room in the building next door. Second floor, I think. Someone there can point you in the right direction. Start there. Maybe she left some clues behind."

"And does this lady have a name," asked 2B.

"…Acacia."

2B did as recommended. She navigated through flooded streets until she reached her destination. The building in question was as lonely a place as she assumed. Both inside and out. Each room was devoid of decor and furniture. Apart from a few chairs lying overturned in what used to be a lobby area, there was nothing to liven up the despairing atmosphere.

Gray walls evoked utter hopelessness. The scent of mold irritated her nostrils. At the far end of the room was a counter. Mostly rotten away but some semblance of a reception desk still remained. Behind it stood a solitary android. A man whose eyes were hidden away behind a set of glowing blue goggles. His tattered gray garb allowed him to blend in with his depressive surroundings like a gloomy chameleon.

Pod 042 took the lead. He averted his spotlight away from the man's eye line. With a wave, he stated his business.

"Greetings. I am Tactical Support Pod 042. This is YoRHa Unit 2B. We seek information on a missing android named Acacia.

A droplet fell from the sky and splashed atop the crown of 2B's head. Then came another. Vexed, she shot a glare upward. There was a dark spot gradually growing in size on the pale ceiling. Damp drywall that failed to keep the water outside at bay. It seeped through, unhindered by the ancient shelter. Another lone droplet struck her along the cheek and rolled down her chin. 2B stepped to the side.

"By orders of Anemone," continued the pod. "We request access to her place of residence."

The man at the table refused to look up. With a rusted coin in hand, he etched random scribbles onto the table. Mindlessly scratching up images of whatever popped into his head.

"Upstairs and to the left. First door."

042 and 2B eyed the stairs in question. A narrow path to the right of the desk. An uncomfortable gloom beckoned them to the floor above. 2B took the first step. They moved up the stairs cautiously. Anticipating something to jump out at them despite being in friendly territory. Nothing about this place was welcoming.

As they rounded the stairs to take the second flight, they found another lone android standing with her face buried in a corner near the steps. Muffled cries escaped her lips. Suffocated by damp drywall.

The duo kept moving. Paying her no mind. Once they reached the top, they set their sights on the desired door. She turned the knob. Rust scraped against her gloves. It refused to budge.

"Locked…"

2B took a step back.

"Recommendation," announced 042. "Return to Anemone or request a key from…"

With a powerful motion of her right leg, 2B kicked the decrepit door down. It practically crumbled beneath the force. It split in two and collapsed onto the floor with a loud crash. 2B then stepped inside.

It was much too dark inside. Pod 042 moved in first. He rose closer to the ceiling and cast his light upon the room, revealing the heaps of garbage and debris left behind. Abandoned spider webs and layers of dust caked the desolate single-room abode. Miserable squaller spawned out of so much neglect.

"Doesn't look like the home of a sane person," 2B muttered.

"Negative."

To her left was a bed. The right housed nothing but heaps of junk. Spare parts and broken circuits. Straight ahead was a desk. A lone book rested in front of an empty chair. Left open for all to see.

With nothing better to go on, 2B pulled out the chair and claimed it as her own. She leaned over the desk, eying the words handwritten upon lined pages. A pen lay next to the open journal.

"I had that dream again," 2B read aloud. "Of my beloved. He stood outside a green castle. He said he was waiting for me there. In Death's Halls. I'll join him. Even if I have to take my own life, I will do it. After justice is served."

Water dripped from the tips of silver bangs. Tiny drops soaked into the yellow pages. 2B wiped her forehead and flipped the page.

"The monster has loved ones too. Those awful twins."

2B hesitated. Confused by the wording. She had to reread that last line before continuing.

"I saw them through the window. They like dancing together. Pretending to be normal. I know they're monsters. All of them."

After concluding the passage, 2B leaned away from the book. "Twins? Is she talking about those girls 9S repaired?"

"Most likely," said 042. "Anemone informed us that she suspected 9S to be behind the initial attacks that started the current war between machines and the local resistance."

2B rolled her eyes from beneath her visor. "I remember. And I also remember those theories being completely unfounded. So, what of it?"

042 had no desire to argue with her. He merely explained himself without so much as bothering to debate. "According to Anemone, the man Unit Acacia showed romantic interest in was killed during the initial attacks. Hypothesis: Acacia also speculated that Unit 9S was responsible for the attacks and sought revenge. Recommendation: investigate further to find potential leads on the whereabouts of Unit 9S."

2B was very close to arguing back. She still ruminated on the utterly preposterous idea that one such as 9S would harm anyone from the Resistance. 042's last statement then hit her like a punch delivered from a medium biped. Frantically, she hunched over and resumed reading. She flipped back to earlier entries to gain better insight.

A stalker who sought revenge. The thought of her being successful caused 2B's gut to sink as if it were filled with rocks. She mulled over every detail, carefully reading the entries that focused on him. If finding him was truly possible at this point, this diary would likely be her only real lead.

As she silently read the other entries, skipping over the irrelevant jargon, she could not help but visualize him. His smile.

Where had he gone?

Who was he with?

What was he doing right now?

~O~

A sigh escaped 9S's lungs. His plastic heart, shielded by rows of metal ribs, raced away as though it had somewhere else to be. Popola shifted about behind him. Timid fingertips gently explored up and down his body.

Inquisitive hands delicately probed every stretch of his body at least once. Warm exhales descended upon his neck, sending shivering waves down his spinal column. With gritted teeth, Popola eyed him intently. Staring with an intensity scarcely seen from her.

Devola laid beneath him. Her head rested upon her discarded shirt. Folded and used as a makeshift pillow. She peered at him from over her shoulder. He could hardly see her face from that angle. The glow of the flowers only reached so far into the small hut, illuminating her arched back but not much else. He persisted in the motions, relying on his sense of touch when sight failed him.

He leaned down and placed a kiss on her neck, working his way down to her shoulder. 9S only stopped when his lips contacted not smooth skin but coarse fabric. He moved back. A sliver of blue light revealed tattered cloth wrapped around her shoulder. A bandage that went unnoticed. The wound inflicted by that abomination. A result of his tampering with cherubic forces. He averted his gaze.

Devola rose slightly. "Don't stop," she grumbled under her breath. Frustrated. 9S only then realized that he had ceased all movement. He pressed a hand on Devola's shoulder, gently laying her onto the mattress.

Eventually, Popola mustered the courage to lay claim to him for herself. A playful push caused him to fall upon the mattress. Rusted springs creaked beneath layers of rotting foam. She climbed atop. 9S caught sight of the bandages wrapped around her waist. Whereas Devola no longer seemed bothered by her wound, Popola occasionally still flinched from the pain. 9S remained cautious about where his hands ventured when exploring her form.

It was yet another reminder that he pushed to the back of his mind. Ignored so that he could focus solely on this heated moment. Grim knowledge imparted through terrible experiences.

Knowledge that his actions had consequences, and those consequences seemed to favor punishing the two closest to him.

~O~

Mortification. Total despair. The sensation of a knife breaking through her sternum and being twisted until her heart was reduced to pulsating pulp. It was all 2B could equate it to. She clasped her chest experiencing emotional pain stout enough to manifest into a very physical sensation.

The truth was laid bare to her by the posthumous writings of a vindictive stalker. Details of 9S's life. His attacks on the Resistance. His suspiciously close relationship to the twins known as "Popola and Devola." All of it had been hinted at by both 042 and Anemone. Two people who understood this situation far better than she currently could.

It was all wrong. Fabrication. Myth. Fantasy. There was no feasible way any of it was true. The prattling of a woman mad with grief. Not a sliver of proof had been offered. Only tall claims in text form. Yet there was a small rebellion among her racing thoughts. The assertion that it was all true. A seed of doubt planted the moment she was roused from death and began the hunt for that silver-haired android she held in such close regard.

Hearing of YoRHa's destruction initially came as a quiet relief. Fantasies of breaking a constant cycle of execution and reactivation haunted her daydreams since the day she left the assembly line. Dreams that were so close after her resuscitation yet now seemed farther away than ever.

She still had one passage left. The diary cut off at about the midway point in the book. It was the last entry and the date indicated it was likely the same time of her disappearance. A worryingly short entry.

Pod 042 waited patiently for her finish. Her body language, however, showed no desire to read any further.

"Even Amos is talked about," 2B muttered, shattering the looming quiet. "Why would he and 9S know each other? That Amos guy didn't react at all when I mentioned I was looking for him."

Pod 042 assumed the best response was to merely repeat what had already been told to her multiple times. "Probability of Unit 9S and Amos being acquaintances is high if this source is to be deemed reliable. Hypothesis: Unit 9S does not desire to be found. His current allies are likely to understand this and assist in hiding his whereabouts from interlopers."

"And all this stuff about 9S and those sisters," 2B spoke. Her tone made it seem like a half-question. "None of that can be true."

"Negative."

2B turned to face her pod. Eyes wide at the prospect of impending horror. He floated before her, unmoved by 2B's reaction.

"This support unit knew of it from the start."

"You what?"

At that point, 042 ignored the usual mannerisms and formalities. "You already knew that… While it is not certain, I assumed this from the beginning and attempted to warn you. Unit 9S became obsessed with repairing Devola and Popola. When Pod 153 informed me of their completion, I hypothesized that it was only a matter of time."

As before, it went in one ear and straight out the other. Her pod was making no logical sense. Perhaps he needed a factory reset. She faced the desk again and glared down at this inconvenient little diary.

"I'll believe it when I see it," she muttered. Each of her words was tinged with bitterness.

"Affirmative. Unit 2B will only believe it when once it has been encountered first hand. That too was easily anticipated."

"Pod. Shut up."

"Order received. Shutting up."

She cleared her throat and read aloud the final entry. "The big guy is gone. The monsters are out in the town. They went to the old shopping center. Now's the time. Now or never. Watch over me. My love."

The chair was nearly thrown to the other side of the room. 2B got up in a rush. "That's it," she muttered. "Pod. On me…"

A loud thud from behind caused even the battle-hardened android to jolt. She twirled around to find the source of the commotion.

Standing in the open doorway was the dark outline of another android. 042 shined a light on her, revealing her peculiar outfit. She looked like no android 2B had ever encountered. She was most certainly not a member of this camp. Such a person would have not gone unnoticed by her.

A white blouse, a black skirt, circular glasses, and an enormous briefcase at her feet. She stared quizzically at 2B, innocently placing a gloved index finger over her lips.

"Excuse me. Sorry to intrude but I was… well…"

She trailed off and gestured downward. 2B followed with her eyes until she took notice of the stranger's severely injured forearm. Crude bandages were wrapped around a grievous wound. Blood dripped from her fingertips. Her sleeve was in tatters, torn apart by whatever left that injury.

"I'm a bit outta sorts. I heard this place offered maintenance. Did I take a wrong turn?"

"Who are you?"

"Call me Accord."

2B furrowed a silver brow. She folded her arms, sternly glaring at the suspicious gynoid. "Okay. And your real name?"

"Accord."

Nothing in the world could convince 2B that this was the truth. "Why are you here? The maintenance hall is the building next door. You walked right past it."

Accord snapped her fingers. "Shoot! Missed it."

2B was not exactly finished with her interrogation. She carried on, cutting the newcomer's complaints short. "You also walked past the android at the front desk."

"Must've missed him too. Darn."

"I never said it was a he."

Accord ceased all movements. All attempts to distract or divert the conversation. She responded with a slowly formed grin. "You're smarter than I thought you'd be. Good job."

"Who are you and what are you doing here?"

"I really am just trying to get maintenance done."

"You'll be waiting for a good while," said 2B. "Everyone's injured these days."

"That's fine. There's still time…"

"Time for what?"

The four-eyed oddity shrugged off the question. With a curious shake of her head, her mouth opened, exposing neat rows of white teeth. She said nothing back. 2B eyed her from bespectacled head to stylish toe.

"You're injured but I have trouble believing that's the only reason your here."

"Nice intuition. I was just checking up on you… 2B."

Her somehow knowing 2B's name was more than enough cause for serious concern. 2B immediately donned Virtuous Contract. She hoisted the pale sword forward, aiming the glimmering tip straight for Accord's chest.

"Hold on! I'm not your enemy."

"Prove it, then."

Accord took a few steps back, leaving the room and retreating into the hall. "Look, I can see that you're busy. Come by and talk to me when you're done meeting with that crazed kid with the red eyes, alright?"

With that, Accord bolted down the hall. 2B lunged forward, sliding across the floor and into the hallway. In that split second, Accord disappeared. Pod 042 floated above her. He aimed his spotlight at the stairs. They were completely desolate.

"Pod 042 to Unit 2B. Are we to follow?"

2B lowered her sword. "No. We know where to find her. Come on. We've got something more important to be doing right now."

The trek to the shopping center was surprisingly easy. She avoided much of the hellish fighting by sticking to rooftops until there was no choice but to land. The flooded streets provided more of a hassle than infected androids and machines did.

She kept away from them. Allowing the different groups to fight amongst themselves. She moved across the sketchy bridge and into the ruined structure. The moment her heeled boot clicked against the overgrown floor, a flashback struck her. His voice. Distant yet so warm to hear.

"I'm gonna buy you a t-shirt," came a boyish declaration.

"T-shirt?"

"Yeah. A t-shirt. Something that'll look good on you."

The recollection was so vivid. The warmth of the sun graced her pale complexion. For but a second, she could not feel the rain. She could almost see rays of sunlight trickling down from a clear sky.

A bombastic clap of thunder brought her right back to reality. Rain poured forth without missing a beat. Overly eager to remind her that it never truly went away. For it never stopped raining. Never.

Her head dropped low. The storm forced it down lest her cheeks be pelted by an oppressive downpour. A quick scan of her surroundings assured her that she and her pod were alone. Up to the elevator, she went.

Blood was smeared on the concrete stairs in between outcropping roots. The remnants of a body being dragged away. The trial ended near the stairs. The blood beyond likely had been washed away by endless rain.

"Possible evidence regarding the disappearance of android Acacia detected," said 042. "Recommendation: search the surrounding area for a body."

"Hmm."

According to her diary. This was the last stop she intended to make. Beyond the admittedly large amount of blood staining ruined concrete, no further signs of a struggle were found. Disappointingly, as well, no signs that 9S was ever here. Not forgetting the mission given to her by Anemone she did as asked.

She started by studying the smears of blood. Investigations were never something 2B became particularly familiar with. Her main mode of operation was murder. Not solving mysteries or puzzles. 9S was always better suited to these mental tasks than she.

"Pod. Which direction do you think this trial leads?"

042 hovered closers to the ground. He inspected the trial, scrutinizing every detail. "No corpse was detected on the way inside. Hypothesis: body was either discarded in the ravine or carried down to the cavern below. Proposal: Unit 2B should start by investigating the cave. It is more accessible than the ravine which has experienced severe flooding."

"For once, we agree."

She tapped the call button on the wall.

A spotlight abruptly switched on, shining down on them with blinding vibrancy. 2B leaped back. 042 took a defensive position and aimed his turret upward.

The light rendered them unable to see who was behind it. It drew closer. A feminine voice spoke out, descending upon them. Her recognizable, automated resonance caused 042 to immediately lower his turret.

"Please step away from the elevator."

"Who are you," snapped 2B.

Pod 042, on the other hand, already had the answer to such a question. "Pod 042 to Pod 153. Requesting status report."

2B was left astonished. She immediately lowered her sword. She could not believe it. Even after all this time was spent searching for him, she could not bring herself to believe that she had stumbled upon his pod.

The spotlight switched off. The ambient glow of lightning and the darkness her eyes were all too accustomed to revealed her robotic form. A square body with a dark gray finish and a crimson trim. There was no mistaking her.

"Pod 153 to Pod 042. Status report: normal. Requesting current status…"

"Pod 042 to Pod 153. All systems functioning."

2B watched them in silence. The two drones floated in place, quietly observing each other. She half expected 042 to immediately ask where 9S was hiding. To both her surprise and intense annoyance, he did nothing of the sort.

"This support unit was concerned about your well-being."

"This support unit appreciates the concern. Requesting detailed briefing on Tactical Support Pod 042's current operational status as well as…"

"Enough," 2B ordered sternly. "Pod. Where's 9S?"

153 pointed to the elevator. "In the cave below. Please wait outside for him to emerge. He and Units Devola and Popola require privacy at the moment."

The pod briefly turned away, far more interested in hearing from 042. Her warning fell on deaf ears. 2B took a step closer to the elevator, waiting for the doors to open. 153 twirled around after taking notice of 2B's movements.

"This support unit must insist that you wait here," 153 spoke more frantically. "Unit 9S does not wish to be disturbed at this point in time. Unit 9S is currently engaged in a mating ritu…"

The request was cut short by the sound of metallic doors sliding open. The elevator finally arrived. 2B stepped inside and hit the switch with an alarming amount of force. Her fist practically slammed into the control panel.

"No. Wait!"

In spite of 153's warnings. Her oddly human pleas. The doors sealed closed. 2B faced forward, knowing the next doors to open would be directly in front of her. A desolate iron box formed eons before her creation that still somehow functioned despite the constant march of time.

The roaring of rain was cut off. She descended. There was a rising feeling in her stomach. Her thoughts raced away. A brainstorm of ideas on what she should say to him. How was she to greet him after all this time? To her, it felt like only yesterday that they had last spoken.

Familiar voices whispered to her through the iron walls, blending with the sounds of the elevator descending along a vertical wire. Memories of him. Of the times she spent working with him beneath a boiling sun.

"Nice to meet you, ma'am."

"Don't call me ma'am."

The weakest of smiles spawned across emotionless features. Emotions that could no longer be contained. She felt excitement. Enthusiasm at the fact that her journey was coming to an end. All that remained was to find him and flee this city with her dear 9S in tow. To escape this storm. An act once only thought possible in her most far-fetched of reveries.

"I mean, if you want to call me Nines, it's totally okay!"

Those twins must be eager to be rid of him. He must be quite a bother. Surely they would be relieved that she had finally come to take him off their hands. 2B grinned further at the thought of leaving back through this elevator with him at her side.

"Us 9S types aren't exactly known for our modesty…"

The door opened. A flood of blue light invaded the elevator. She stepped out and scanned the knolls for any sign of him. There was no movement. She switched her gaze to the rundown hut on the far side of the chasm. She squinted. There was movement inside. It had to be him.

Calmly, she approached. Her hands trembled. She was not quite sure what to do with them Her pace quickened in response to her swelling anticipation, but as she drew nearer, she slowed again. Peculiar noises seeped from the hut.

Moans. Gasps. Sighs. They sounded so sensual. The occasional whisper or giggle broke up the pattern. Rustling from behind a wall of darkness and ominous creaks all left 2B rather puzzled.

It was all so eerie.

A single name was spoken aloud. Accompanied by a fleeting, feminine groan.

"…Nines!"

2B inched closer to the hut. Her stride slowed to a crawl. The pace of a snail after having been rolled in salt. All of a sudden, she was not feeling so confident about this situation. Not anymore.

In due time, she reached the shack. She poked her head through, peering inside. It was a challenge to see anything apart from the outline of writhing bodies cuddled together on a small bed at the back of the shelter. They repeated the same motions.

Her vision focused. There was no mistaking it at that point. No denying what was right before her eyes. In a horrified gasp, she uttered the name that lingered on her tongue since the day she was revived. "9S!?"

The three androids jolted in fear. The twins reached for discarded clothes left lying across the bed to conceal themselves. They glared harshly at her. The curly-haired one, in particular, stared her down with almost murderous intent.

In between them, a silver-haired scanner stirred. Shocked blue eyes met hers.

"2… 2B!?"

What little color remained stored within a sun-deprived complexion drained away from her. All gone in an instant.

She finally understood what Anemone meant. What her pod tried to warn her about. It was all true. She had been left behind. The excitement that threatened to come to a boil mere microseconds ago died in that one horrible moment.

A feeling possessed her. The sensation that something inside her broke.

All hope faded away.

Note: This chapter has a bit of a story behind how it came to be. It was first called "Noir" and it was exactly as the name implies. A noir-themed mystery chapter where 2B goes around Anemone's camp and pieces together 9S's location by interviewing the people he interacted with. The imagery was depicted as always being in black and white. The rain and general mood of the overall story already fit well for it. However, it was kind of boring in practice. It was mainly just a recap chapter that probably isn't necessary. The idea was cool to work with, and I wrote multiple drafts of it but none of them made the final cut. The slot got filled up by "Vendetta" and the rest was history.

There was another chapter set to be released for this slot. It was called Bits and Pieces and it was set immediately after the Watcher leaves. Pod 153 was supposed to dig 9S out of the rubble. The rest of the chapter was following him while he looked for Amos and the twins. It too felt a bit on the boring side so I scrapped it entirely and just did this.